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What's going on is that there are many equally-valid definitions of "popularity". Do you mean number of developers who's heard of a language? Who uses a languag
by yen223 8y ago
What's going on is that there are many equally-valid definitions of "popularity". Do you mean number of developers who's heard of a language? Who uses a language? Who likes a language? Or do you mean a language that's most widely deployed, for some definition of deployed?
The question you need to ask is what decision is going to be impacted as the result of knowing the "popularity" of some language. The answer to that question will guide you towards the right metric you should be looking at.
- tabtab 8y agoIndeed! Keep-up-with-the-Jonesism sends people into circles of craziness and self-fulfilling prophecies.
- Jach 8y agoFrom https://www.xach.com/naggum/articles/3141310154691952@naggum.no.html https://www.xach.com/naggum/articles/3141310154691952@naggum... "if you aren't using today's fad language in the very latest version of the IDE, you'll be left behind. aaaugh! but it's good that some people run like they are scared out of their wits. if they suddenly disappear over the edge of a cliff, a good number of people will notice in time and _not_ follow them. those are the ones that matter."
- baxtr 8y agoThat’s similar to asking: which species is the most successful one? By which measure? Bio-mass? Space occupied?
- WiseWeasel 8y agoOoh, that's an interesting question. I'd have to go with highest total energy consumed through their metabolism and activities. Those with the highest chemical impact on the planet.
- baxtr 8y agoPlease don’t backward engineer the metric so that we will win ;-)
- WiseWeasel 8y agoYeah, factoring in activities certainly gives us the advantage. I suspect most people have an idea of success more along the lines of mass of other species consumed. That seems unfair to plants though. I feel some measure of chemical impact of the species to be the most level playing field, and that relative total energy consumption is close to the core of the question.
- maxxxxx 8y agoI would go with the highest biomass :-). Whoever weights most in total wins. EDIT: According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_(ecology)#Ocean_biomass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_(ecology)#Ocean_biomas... it's earthworms.
- WiseWeasel 8y agoIs a giant sequoia tree, the largest of which was able to accumulate ~1350 tons over 2000 years, more successful than the quantity of worms that lived under it during that time? A continual measurement per unit time seems more fair to me than instant current weight at any given time. Maybe if it was possible to measure the biomass generated over the course of the year for each species. I'd think that's directly related to their energy consumption.
- marcosdumay 8y agoI would go with the time fitness takes to bounce back after an environmental change... So us, then bacteria, and so on.
- Scarblac 8y agoWhy is that even the right direction of the axis? Couldn't you argue that the less energy you need for all your species' activities the better, if all else is equal?