I’ve worked as a software engineer for close to two decades. Re-implementing a complex system in a new programming language is a hard problem. Trying to make such a change rapidly rather than taking your time to isolate and convert it in small chunks is asking for trouble.
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.
Under any circumstances, a migration of this size and scale would be a massive undertaking, experts tell WIRED, but the expedited deadline runs the risk of obstructing payments to the more than 65 million people in the US currently receiving Social Security benefits.
Makena Kelly
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse (WIRED)
Scott Boehmer 