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On 4/4/06, Isaac Gouy <igouy / yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Austin Ziegler wrote:
> > On 4/4/06, Isaac Gouy <igouy / yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > Austin Ziegler wrote:
> > > > On 3/31/06, sullivanz.pku / gmail.com <sullivanz.pku / gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > This might be a stupid question, but I really wonder if ruby is
> much
> > > > > slower than python and perl.
> > > > Try it. And ignore anyone who tells you to look at the utterly
> useless
> > > > Alioth shootout. It doesn't model anything real-world and doesn't
> > > > actually tell you anything about performance for your problems.
> > > >
> > > > I haven't checked in a while, but they weren't very honest about
> their
> > > > aims last time I checked, either. It's simply a matter of
> > > > self-promotion and comparison for Inane Gullibles.
> > > "I haven't checked in a while..."
> > > Then your comments would apply to the Alioth shootout in... 2004?
> >
> > 2005. I avoid the shootout like the plague, until you pop up and
> > pretend that your pet project has any relevance to anything.
> >
> > > There's nothing wrong with saying how little can be learned from
> > > measuring small programs, but saying don't look suggests there's
> > > something to be hidden.
> >
> > No, saying "don't look" says that your aims are bogus, your tests are
> > worse, your validation is nonsensical to nonexistent, and your
> > presentation is dishonest.
> >
> > Saying "don't look" says that the Alioth shootout isn't worth the
> > server space it takes up. It's certainly not worth the amount of
> > pimping you do for it.
> >
> > -austin
> > --
> > Austin Ziegler * halostatue / gmail.com
> >                * Alternate: austin / halostatue.ca
>
> And you believe all that without even looking - truly remarkable!
>
> (I suppose there are people who make judgements about Ruby without
> looking.)
>
>
> I understand that you are upset, but I *had* a look and I think I have
enough reason to consider the shootout  irrelevant:
First, everybody can contribute ones program, like that, so what if I want
ruby to look bad, well easy enough, there comes one example into mind (c.f.
http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/debian/benchmark.php?test=binarytrees&lang=ruby),
the program does not even run.
Second I have often seen ruby1.9 being used, futile ( so I have my two
favorite words together "futile" and "irrelevant" ;)
to explain that 1.9 is not to be used for such a thing.
I checked a different program, sorry cannot give you the link, from the
shootout, it was written for slow performance period.
And last but not least, performance rarely matters and when it *really*
matters you need a change of magnitude.
And for that to accomplish you have to extend ruby in C or interface with C,
which is pretty easy compared to python or - even worse - perl.

So I honestly understand why Austin is upset although, I agree with you,
scientifcly speaking his attitude is wrong.
But I believe his conclusions are correct nontheless.

Cheers
Robert


--
Deux choses sont infinies : l'univers et la bóŐise humaine ; en ce qui
concerne l'univers, je n'en ai pas acquis la certitude absolue.

- Albert Einstein

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