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This is fascinating. We are barely keeping up with demand for computing with all those inefficient languages, architecture and difficulties of scale we face now

This is fascinating. We are barely keeping up with demand for computing with all those inefficient languages, architecture and difficulties of scale we face now. We waste cycles, bandwidth, memory and still do not have enough developer time to build or simply keep up with demand. Just imagine how much more work is to be done when we face additional constraints of reuse of old devices, conserving energy, and device utilisation. Additionally, as we slow down development of software to accommodate new constraints or simply cut usage of compute, we delay/hinder deployment of software which can help save our biosphere elsewhere. Or lift people from poverty. So this might not be justified after all. This is complicated, we must work harder and save the planet. One thing is 8K tvs and datacenters to stream content, other is socially and environmentally important compute.

allendoerfer 5y ago
1.) Make it work. 2.) Make it right. 3.) Make it fast. While some individual software is at step 3, as a society overall we have much work ahead of us at step 1.
Bancakes 5y ago
We aren't slowing down, we are going back to normal levels of development. For the last 20 years we've been rushing and agiling everything for the sake of money, sacrificing backwards compatibility and maintainability. Reusing old devices is a given. A program works until an update breaks it. The hardware is perfectly suited for this - x86 has ridiculous back compat. The challenges you point out are completely self made and it's time we repay our technical debt. As far as biosphere goes, it's like saying a slow dentist harms surgeons. What even is this mythical software which protects the biosphere and lifts people from poverty? SV is not contributing to such efforts, nor is any general SE corporation. We will just slow down and consume less software. Less, but better maintained.
- hamilyon2 5y ago
  >mythical software Software that helps people to organise for a political cause mainly. So, communication is the first example. Software that helps scientific research of ecology also directly impacts our ability to fix things. More software is impactful in indirect ways.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]

allendoerfer 5y ago

1.) Make it work. 2.) Make it right. 3.) Make it fast. While some individual software is at step 3, as a society overall we have much work ahead of us at step 1.

Bancakes 5y ago

We aren't slowing down, we are going back to normal levels of development. For the last 20 years we've been rushing and agiling everything for the sake of money, sacrificing backwards compatibility and maintainability. Reusing old devices is a given. A program works until an update breaks it. The hardware is perfectly suited for this - x86 has ridiculous back compat. The challenges you point out are completely self made and it's time we repay our technical debt. As far as biosphere goes, it's like saying a slow dentist harms surgeons. What even is this mythical software which protects the biosphere and lifts people from poverty? SV is not contributing to such efforts, nor is any general SE corporation. We will just slow down and consume less software. Less, but better maintained.

hamilyon2 5y ago
>mythical software Software that helps people to organise for a political cause mainly. So, communication is the first example. Software that helps scientific research of ecology also directly impacts our ability to fix things. More software is impactful in indirect ways.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]