We declare SHARE Cleveland a rockin’ success! The rock ‘n roll theme permeated the city, exhibitor booths, and giveaways, culminating in a live music reception at the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Have you seen someone wearing a leather kilt play bagpipes to AC/DC? Now we have! A big thank you to Broadcom for sponsoring the event.
As usual, the SHARE agenda was packed with valuable learning opportunities and demos. Recurring themes included potential uses for AI, “vibe coding” as a real thing, open source pros and cons, transformation and modernization, and the popular but frightening topic of cybersecurity. Check out the SHARE updates for written highlights from several key sessions.
Happy 10th Birthday, Planet Mainframe
This fall, Planet Mainframe celebrates 10 years of publishing global mainframe voices. Feeling festive, we hoisted confetti balloons, gave away purple headgear, sang happy birthday to a confetti cupcake, and modified our logo to wear a party hat. Our birthday wish? 10,000 more years of success! And an unending supply of purple Chuck Taylor shoes.
2025 Influential Mainframers Recognition
We invited all 2025 Influential Mainframers to swing by the booth and snag a commemorative pin. Whether sporting a single lapel pin or a full lanyard of swag, everyone looked sharp as a video of Influencer faces played. We kindly coerced several Influential Mainframers to take photos wearing silly birthday hats. Thank you, and you’ll receive your pictures via email soon!
Mark Wilson and Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter
Mark Wilson, Editor of Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter, challenged attendees to mainframe trivia drawn from our bi-monthly quizzes. There were plenty of laughs as legitimate answers were questioned, groups teamed up to take down Mark, and participants were pleasantly surprised to know the answers! Mark mostly lost, graciously allowing each winner to choose between an Amazon gift card and a cupcake. They all chose the gift card. 🧁.
Mark Wilson competes with attendees for trivia bragging rights
Welcome, Future Colleagues
You may have noticed a troupe of bright-eyed mainframe students hanging around Influential Mainframer Geoffrey Decker. Geoffrey brought over 15 students as first-time SHARE attendees. What a gift! Their enthusiasm and curiosity were contagious, and watching them try to take it all in stirred hope about the next generation of mainframers. We sent many to our mainframe-specific Job Board.
We were so inspired, in fact, that we launched a new program: Any mainframe instructor can receive a free subscription to Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter and share it with their students. It’s a small way to thank educators and support students with high-quality mainframe resources. Email Andrew at info@planetmainframe.com to get started.
If you’re not an educator, you can sign up for The Tuning Letter online.
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