Comment by Stevvo
16 hours ago
Interesting they are renting out agent skills. You can pick up "Java Modernization" at $20 a month for "Specialist workflows to help with modernizing Java applications", or "IBM i" for "Specialist modes, workflows, and skills to work with IBM i applications".
markdown as a service is crazy
Is it that diff from code as a service? It’s human intent transcribed into something useful.
Code is precise. Human intent is anything but.
I lol'd so hard at this comment that it hurt.
This is the most IBM thing IBM ever IBM'd.
What do you mean by renting out an agent skill? How can one even rent a Skill? It’s just a markdown file
You periodically pay a fee that gives you the right to use a licensed markdown file, in the same way you can rent movies or fonts.
When you stop paying but keep using the skill, that’s called pirating.
But if you point your LLM at it and say you want something like this, then it’s all ok. :) If you can’t legally copy it, just launder it through AI.
so it's just a prompt?
It could be added to context only on the inference server, with the model heavily instructed not to repeat its contents. Not foolproof, obviously.
depending on what the skill does, it can be a whole collection of python/other code files, resource files (i.e., js libs, css/html templates) and markdown files with orchestration instructions
how long before some hero puts them on github?
Does anyone actually care about what IBM's skill files say?
IBM hasn't made a product that works since Db2 so I am fairly confident this is a flaming pile of garbage.
No, you are wrong. IBMer here. I was at first agains it, my background is for 2 decades startup(s) before I joined IBM, and I started slowly using IBM Bob and I must say it is really good and helping. With many integrations that works :)
Is it true that employees have to earn Bobcoins before they can use Bob?
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When people say they have been in startups for long periods, does this mean they worked at a chain of failed companies?
is bob helping with ur writing too? ;p
Are you allowed to use Cursor, Codex, Claude, or OpenCode or is Bob all they allow?
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What is good about it then? What model do you use? Which integration are we talking about? Is it open source? How much the "transparent pricing" "bobcoin" is worth?
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Lol
lol, I've used it and Bob is a dumpster fire.
Not an IBMer, but IBM MQ and Sterling Connect:Direct are both solid, I use them daily and they work wonderfully, although they can be a real bitch to set up and use in certain scenarios.
A bit of hyperbole by me since db2 was made in 1983. But MQ was created in 1993. Sterling was an acquisition. The majority of products that actually work were acquired. Very little if anything of value since 2005+ that was actually IBM created. (Bob appears fully IBM created)
I wish you study the Wikipedia page, please. it's a very old company and we have invented really cool stuff.
signed: a proud IBMer
What makes you proud about IBM currently? IBM’s “RA” culture fostering Machiavellian politics, singleminded view of next quarter’s success, and asinine yet draconian bureaucracy are three out of MANY reasons why I’m embarrassed to have had IBM forced into my career and got the hell out as fast as possible each time.
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