I work on mainframes, I can tell you there's still lots of work to be found for COBOL and FORTRAN programmers.

You know why mainfrmanes are still used? Because nothing, and I mean nothing can process as much as quickly as those beasts can. Bells and whistles are nice, but to get it done, use something z/OS based.

I can program both.

They are also both incredibly frustrating after growing accustomed to subsequent programming languages.

Yeah me too. I had tutorials for my old TRS-80 model III in like 1979, and nothing much to do with myself so I learned Basic, FORTRAN and COBOL one summer. Have used none of them since...

Emp, you should never hurt for work. Add in the ability to either a) convert legacy software to use a grid or b) write high-performance code in machine code and you're looking at $250K per year for as long as you can be bothered showing up

I've programmed in Basic, Pascal, and C++. I used to really love programming. Now it's been so long I'd have to re-learn most of it. I keep thinking of it as a good project for when I'm not so busy.

I actually really like programming and sometimes think that I should write some software on the side & sell it myself.

Engineering software is generally pretty terrible.

There's that online school, a REAL school, that you can take the courses for no grade (free!), or for credit and a grade.

i had some links to it on my other computer, so i'll have to wait until Dear gets home and boots it up.

Oh, and it's NOT Phoenix or one of those

Try:  MIT :  http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

Also, the one at HF, but i won't go back to try to get it

This website: http://selfmadescholar.com/b/ has some good resources noted throughout it.

There's also this: http://personaluniversity.org/doku.php
It amounts to more of a list of books and/or websites, though.  I expected a more detailed curriculum when I read about what they're trying to do.

So what are people programming in nowadays, Java? Python? Something yet newer?

The one that was a HF was a truly free college level course University.

i was doing some refreshers in Logic and it was good.

http://lifehacker.com/201979/technophilia-get-a-free-college-education-online

That article lists other free courses, and where to go for them.


OH!  And Ditto on the above question ~ with the addition of home-based work.

DNA:

I was gonna go with feces, but DNA is good too.