Why COBOL programmers refuse Ada
Kenneth Fussichen · 1990
The problems associated with asking a COBOL1 programmer to learn Ada can be likened to the problems you might anticipate when an American employee is asked to learn Japanese. Significant motivation must be provided to overcome some of the obstacles. First, learning Japanese is difficult. The Japanese and English languages have no common ancestry. Second, societal values vary. Third, it is difficult to generate much interest in learning anything when its anticipated practical use is minimal.