DOGE plans to rebuild the Social Security Administration COBAL code base in months. Doing so is a danger to benefits and could cause a system collapse. [More inside] (archive.ph)

submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by InevitableSwing@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months.

65 million people in the US currently receive Social Security benefits. They're considering Java as a replacement.

The project is being organized by Elon Musk lieutenant Steve Davis, multiple sources who were not given permission to talk to the media tell WIRED, and aims to migrate all SSA systems off COBOL, one of the first common business-oriented programming languages, and onto a more modern replacement like Java within a scheduled tight timeframe of a few months.

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SSA’s core “logic” is also written largely in COBOL. This is the code that issues social security numbers, manages payments, and even calculates the total amount beneficiaries should receive for different services, a former senior SSA technologist who worked in the office of the chief information officer says. Even minor changes could result in cascading failures across programs.

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[-] rubber_chicken@hexbear.net 14 points 5 days ago

If they stop the checks, we really will see direct action from boomers and it won't even require doing anything outside of their comfort zones. They'll pack a cooler, put the grill in the back of the SUV, get on the highway and stop. It will take small numbers to stop entire highways with no coordination required outside of the concept being out there. If there are 20 pissed-off boomers next to a highway between two consecutive exits, that section of highway will be a tailgate party. It really will be a they-can't-arrest-us-all scenario. Hell, even if they did, they'd then need to tow the cars away. What's the tow-truck-to-boomer ratio? Hell, how many of those tow trucks are boomer-owned and will be towing heavy obstacles onto the highways instead of protest vehicles off of them?

[-] Des@hexbear.net 14 points 5 days ago

Listening to some of those voice mails those pissed off Boomers left those senators, all I can say is holy shit. Some of them may do some wild stuff they act like they have nothing to lose and don't give a fuck if they get arrested.

[-] SuperZutsuki@hexbear.net 15 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

There is a significant boomer population that really does have nothing to lose if the SSI checks stop coming in. The situation for many people is dire and I think the morons in the white house don't really understand the bee's nest they're poking.