Re: [Nolug] Introducing myself

On Sat, Dec 06, 2008 at 11:32:36PM -0600, Dennis J Harrison Jr wrote:
> Ron, you sound like a friend of mine. He is constantly preaching to
> me how much more math I should learn to write better programs. The
> only thing I can say is:
>
> What is the real world benefit for me to write a program that runs 20%
> to 300% 'faster'. When 50% of the current speed is more then enough?

I think that actual problem is that sub-par implementations tend to use sub-par algorithms, which usually end up running thousands of times slower than they have to - even on the fastest current hardware. Never forget how vulnerable hardware is to poor solutions.

>
> You can argue resource management all day long. However I take those
> things into consideration. Most of my programs have very limited
> client side footprints. I know throwing more hardware at a
> performance issue is barbaric. But I have not had to go there yet.

It is barbaric indeed. I'll have to borrow that quip some time :).

> We have SO MUCH head room on our infrastructure for our current
> customer base... I can't see a reason to spend time making it more
> efficient when I could spend time adding useful (to humans) code
> instead.

I agree, it's all about the practical considerations of what you're doing.

Brett

>
>
> On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 5:15 PM, Ron Johnson <ron.l.johnson@cox.net> wrote:
> > On 12/06/08 15:07, Friedrich Gurtler wrote:
> >>
> >> On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 2:52 PM, Ron Johnson <ron.l.johnson@cox.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Python is a great learning scripting language, but new programmers *need*
> >>> to know the hardware. Assembly programming, preferably in MS-DOS or
> >>> CP/M,
> >>> would be best.
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> Indeed, and don't let them get near a database before they have written
> >> their own database engine. I mean, that might lead them to write something
> >> less than perfectly optimal. We couldn't have that.
> >
> > What stupidity.
> >
> > Having to write rather complete binary tree and hash libraries has greatly
> > aided me as a DBA, even though I've never had to use such a hand-rolled
> > library in 20+ years.
> >
> >> Slide rules forever! =P
> >
> > Everyone on this list who lived thru Katrina know how dependent upon
> > technology that Americans have become.
> >
> > Knowing how to use slide rules and magnetic compasses, read a map, start
> > fires without matches, etc, etc are all very useful skills.
> >
> > --
> > Ron Johnson, Jr.
> > Jefferson LA USA
> >
> > How does being physically handicapped make me Differently-Abled?
> > What different abilities do I have?
> > ___________________
> > Nolug mailing list
> > nolug@nolug.org
> >
> ___________________
> Nolug mailing list
> nolug@nolug.org

-- 
B. Estrade
Louisiana Optical Network Initiative
+1.225.578.1920 aim: bz743
:wq
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