Re: [Chicken-users] inventory of community skills

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Shawn Rutledge wrote:
> On 2/5/07, Brandon J. Van Every <address@hidden> wrote:
> > Shawn Rutledge wrote:
> > >  And it needs to run at
> > > maximum efficiency at every scale of device.
> >
> > Why?  Microsoft owns most of the world and doesn't share your passion
> > here.  I've gone bankrupt on premature optimization.  I'm wondering
> > where you think you'll get the support resources for such a lofty goal?
>
> Least of all do I care what MS thinks because I don't have any passion
> or admiration for most of their stuff; do you?

None.  I just moved from the Seattle metro area to Spokane, if that 
tells you anything.  I don't know whether I'll be moving back.

> Anyway as you know "maximum efficiency" is an
> asymptote, a matter of continuous improvement.

I'm not even sure that aiming towards the possibility of maximum 
efficiency is a reasonable design goal.  And you stated it in much 
stronger terms above.  "Needs to run at maximum efficiency."  No it 
doesn't.  It's an expensive obsession.  Too expensive for most real 
world problems.  Doesn't stop me from trying to do efficient stuff, but 
I've learned to bridle it some.  The only way you can really do 
"maximally efficient" stuff, is if someone's paying you a lot of money 
to do it.  Then you can spend oodles of hours dinking with the perfect 
designs, algorithms, and assembly codes.  I wouldn't mind getting paid 
to do that sort of thing again, since it's my strong suit and I do tend 
to obsess about it.  But lately no one's asking.


Cheers,
Brandon Van Every