The Environmental Impact of PHP Compared To C++ On Facebook

Kensai7 writes "Recently, Facebook provided us with some information on their server park. They use about 30,000 servers, and not surprisingly, most of them are running PHP code to generate pages full of social info for their users. As they only say that 'the bulk' is running PHP, let's assume this to be 25,000 of the 30,000. If C++ would have been used instead of PHP, then 22,500 servers could be powered down (assuming a conservative ratio of 10 for the efficiency of C++ versus PHP code), or a reduction of 49,000 tons of CO2 per year. Of course, it is a bit unfair to isolate Facebook here. Their servers are only a tiny fraction of computers deployed world-wide that are interpreting PHP code."

Comments

Re:Interpreted Languages...

[Anonymous Coward]

Java is another language that has been knocked around for years by C++ puritans but it has, in fact, become very well compiled and optimized.

Yes yes, very nice. Now make the language not shit, please.

Stop proselytizing for your cult

[digitalcowboy]

AGW/CC is about as real as Scientology. Shut the fuck up already. "The Environment" has taken care of itself for billions of years. I'm not hurting it and it doesn't need you to save it.

Beyond that, this post has taken it to a brand new, stupidly religious place. You're now calculating numbers you pulled out of your ass to indict programming languages that you find to be "un-green."

That's my limit. Go sit in the stupid corner until you learn to interact with intelligent adults again.

Re:Languages not for everyone

[butlerm]

Yes. There are a lot of "smart" people who are horrible engineers, and college CS departments are full of them and turn out graduates with the same shortcomings.

Ideally, "computer science" should become a sub-specialty of mathematics, all the CS departments in the world should be changed into software engineering departments, and all full professors in the department be required to have ten years of real world (read: non-academic) software or hardware engineering experience.

Mod SoulSkill as both -1 Troll and -1 Flamebait

[FlyingGuy]

Seriously, why was this even posted. While we are at it, lets Mod SoulSkill as +1 Revenue Generator so even then this should get scored as -1 "What! Are you fucking kidding me!" ( with apologies to Robbin Williams )

But on a more on-topic note, PHP and C++ are languages for two totally different things and if SoulSkill doesn't know that, he has no business being a "editor".

Re:Assumes PHP Dev Effort = C++ Dev Effort

[BitZtream]

It won't be more efficient in terms of dollars if you're trying to have PHP flunkies write C code.

PHP will only be cheaper because anyone can write PHP code that appears to work. Keyword: Appears.

Maintaining C code is not difficult, it just requires discipline, which would benefit PHP developers as well, unfortunately most are just some guy/girl who read a web page describing PHP and so they played with it, then got them a job writing it for some place that didn't know any better.

Writing PHP code is like cooking dinner at home, anyone can do it, and it will rarely kill anyone, but it will just as rarely come out great.

Writing C code is like being a doctor. If you do it will, have discipline and a solid work ethic, you can perform what appears to be miracles to people used to PHP, likewise, you can far easier screwup a buffer and kill the application and make it VERY difficult to find.

The problem is, a good developer would do THE EXACT SAME PROCESS regardless of what language he or she uses.

The real problem is that 'php writers' aren't developers. Thats why most of them don't follow proper procedures for developing software and think the process is somehow different than C dev.

If you think the PHP dev process is different than the C/C++ dev process, then you don't really shouldn't call yourself a developer, you are a php writer at best, not even a good one.