5 ms·

I think a better term would be FAAS (Functions as a service), since that's what it is. Lambda looks kinda neat as far as tech goes however.

partycoder 10y ago
Yes, I also think that's a much more accurate term that better represents the concept.
- mypalmike 10y ago
  Great. We now know what color to paint the bike shed. Hoorah, progress!
  - partycoder 10y ago
    Yep, that's how progress is made, one step at a time. As seen in: human history, evolution, etc.
edblarney 10y ago
The term 'Lambda' has a basis in Computer Science as a type of 'anonymous function' - in which case the name is reasonably well suited. 'Serverless Computing' as a term to describe the paradigm I think is very neutral, descriptive and apt. It's even a little bit boring but it does the job.
- Can_Not 10y ago
  How is it apt and descriptive, and also not blatently wrong and misleading, if the name explicitly suggests that servers are executing code "without a server"?
  - edblarney 10y ago
    From the customers perspective -> there is no server. The primary difference between and Lambda architecture and a 'serverless architecture' is that the app-maker does not spend any effort, though, or concern in managing servers. That there may or may not be servers under the hood is irrelevant.
    - Can_Not 10y ago
      By that logic, linode, shared webhosts, and facebook are all serverless.
      - edblarney 10y ago
        No. Nobody ever used a social network and had to manage servers to do it, or ever referred to servers, nor where they implied. Using a 'social network' has nothing to do with servers. Managing back end infrastructure is fundamentally a 'server oriented' paradigm. 'Electric cars' are a perfectly apt name to refer to cars that are not gas/cylinder engines, just as 'steel roofing' is perfectly apt to differentiate from the standard tar based products at least in consumer roofing (in cold climes). Salesforce's mantra for a long time was 'no software' - which was reasonable because IT departments didn't have to install and manage software, although obviously salesforce themselves use 'software'. 'Serverless computing' is a perfectly fine name, 99% are fine with it, they know what it means, and it has nothing to do with Amazon's marketing initiatives. In fact - Amazon is way behind in positioning it - they are not even properly catering to hosting websites using the service, they are still mostly focused on IT folks.
        Can_Not 10y ago
        > Nobody ever used a social network and had to manage servers to do it, or ever referred to servers, nor where they implied. > Using a 'social network' has nothing to do with servers. So when I goto facebook, instead of a server, I connect to a ______? > 'Electric cars' are a perfectly apt name to refer to cars that are not gas/cylinder engines, just as 'steel roofing' is perfectly apt to differentiate from the standard tar based products at least in consumer roofing (in cold climes). Electric cars are called so for semantically useful and intuitive reasons: They are electric instead of gasoline. Steel roofing is called so for semantically useful and intuitive reasons: its a roof made from steel instead of tar. That seems incoherent as a defense to using them term "serverless" to refer to something that is literally a several buildings full of servers.

partycoder 10y ago

Yes, I also think that's a much more accurate term that better represents the concept.

mypalmike 10y ago
Great. We now know what color to paint the bike shed. Hoorah, progress!
- partycoder 10y ago
  Yep, that's how progress is made, one step at a time. As seen in: human history, evolution, etc.

edblarney 10y ago

The term 'Lambda' has a basis in Computer Science as a type of 'anonymous function' - in which case the name is reasonably well suited. 'Serverless Computing' as a term to describe the paradigm I think is very neutral, descriptive and apt. It's even a little bit boring but it does the job.

Can_Not 10y ago
How is it apt and descriptive, and also not blatently wrong and misleading, if the name explicitly suggests that servers are executing code "without a server"?
- edblarney 10y ago
  From the customers perspective -> there is no server. The primary difference between and Lambda architecture and a 'serverless architecture' is that the app-maker does not spend any effort, though, or concern in managing servers. That there may or may not be servers under the hood is irrelevant.
  - Can_Not 10y ago
    By that logic, linode, shared webhosts, and facebook are all serverless.
    - edblarney 10y ago
      No. Nobody ever used a social network and had to manage servers to do it, or ever referred to servers, nor where they implied. Using a 'social network' has nothing to do with servers. Managing back end infrastructure is fundamentally a 'server oriented' paradigm. 'Electric cars' are a perfectly apt name to refer to cars that are not gas/cylinder engines, just as 'steel roofing' is perfectly apt to differentiate from the standard tar based products at least in consumer roofing (in cold climes). Salesforce's mantra for a long time was 'no software' - which was reasonable because IT departments didn't have to install and manage software, although obviously salesforce themselves use 'software'. 'Serverless computing' is a perfectly fine name, 99% are fine with it, they know what it means, and it has nothing to do with Amazon's marketing initiatives. In fact - Amazon is way behind in positioning it - they are not even properly catering to hosting websites using the service, they are still mostly focused on IT folks.
      - Can_Not 10y ago
        > Nobody ever used a social network and had to manage servers to do it, or ever referred to servers, nor where they implied. > Using a 'social network' has nothing to do with servers. So when I goto facebook, instead of a server, I connect to a ______? > 'Electric cars' are a perfectly apt name to refer to cars that are not gas/cylinder engines, just as 'steel roofing' is perfectly apt to differentiate from the standard tar based products at least in consumer roofing (in cold climes). Electric cars are called so for semantically useful and intuitive reasons: They are electric instead of gasoline. Steel roofing is called so for semantically useful and intuitive reasons: its a roof made from steel instead of tar. That seems incoherent as a defense to using them term "serverless" to refer to something that is literally a several buildings full of servers.