DMGVerbose
After a failed creating of a new instance of IBM's WebSphere, this error was displayed in the UI:
Error: There was a problem creating the database. Error: Instance was not created. Please correct the error before retrying.
The only line in the log was:
There was a problem creating the database.
The only line. In verbose mode.
I'm more and more convinced that IBM subsists on marketing and corporate enertia alone.
There's a Tragedy of the Commons here: the cost of making good software is IBM's to bear alone. But the cost of making crappy software is spread across all their users. The key is to keep that cost spread thinly enough that it's still cheaper for customers to stick with IBM than to roll their own.
As open source frameworks continue to blossom, IBM is going to have a harder and harder time justifying these massive licencing fees.