[Hidden-tech] Rewriting SSA code in months - possible?

[Lili Dwight]

anybody can write crap in a few months- this really requires analysis and design by people who understand all the intricacies and you KNOW they don’t have those people on the job.

As Sam Rayburn said, “Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one.”

Also, in my experience w/legacy systems, coders used to grab “unused” bits from a field w/a pointer and separate overlay because we had such limitations on disk and cpu. 

and the number of libraries needed to build modern systems if not done from the ground up introduces stacks of vulnerabilities, too.

So… those of us living on the social security retirement we paid into are…. screwed.


Lili Dwight
🖖🏼
ldwight at spock.city






> On Mar 29, 2025, at 1:12 AM, AI Zuckerman via Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net> wrote:
> 
> https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/03/28/2148205/doge-to-rewrite-ssa- <https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/03/28/2148205/doge-to-rewrite-ssa-codebase-in-months?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed>
> codebase-in-months?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/03/28/2148205/doge-to-rewrite-ssa-codebase-in-months?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed>
> 
> Hi Hidden Techies,
> Here's one for coders on the list. A friend sent me a link to this article in Wired. Apparently, DOGE techies are claiming they can rewrite the SSA code in months. Wire reports that the SSA codebase has over 60 million lines of COBOL <https://oig.ssa.gov/congressional-testimony/2016-07-14-newsroom-congressional-testimony-july14-ssa-modernization/> and handles record keeping for all American workers and payments for all Social Security recipients. 
> The aim is to migrate all  SSA systems off COBOL ... and onto a more modern replacement like Java within a scheduled tight timeframe of a few months," notes Wired.
> Some questions:
> Is it possible to handle this mammoth job in a month?
> What happens if the techies in DOGE make mistakes?
> Would SSA have a backup system of the COBOL code?
> 
> Let all of us oldsters who depend on our SSA benefits keep them safe. If any people can do this, I know either you can or know someone who can. Please post your thoughts to the list.
> If you want to chat with me about this situation then call me at 413-362-4392. 
> thanks!
> 
> Amy Zuckerman
> HIDDEN TECH mother emeritus
> 
> I
> 
> 
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