Okay, admittedly I'm clueless as to the dynamics of JIT compilation, but from my relatively limited perspective, I do have a few comments about this concept of JIT compilers generating better code than a human.
It makes sense to me that a JIT compiler would generate...ubercode. Of course a processor which is inimately familiar with itself would be able to optimize its activity given a certain situation to fit its own needs. It as if the processor reaches enlightenment.
However, in the case of a Transmeta processor I wonder if the processor has to generate new code every time a non-native assembly program is run, how fast could it be. Is there some kind of cap on the speed of the processor due to its constant compilation?
It seems to me, a person clueless in the tao of the processor that a coder, writing for a specific processor, would be able to create code that executes far faster than a processor generating code from a coders code on the fly.
The degrees of seperation between the coder and the binary should be as small as possible. --
It seems as if most of the posters on this particular article are not rebuking the author, Mr. Katz, for his brashness. It seems to me as if Mr. Katz has simply had enough of tolerating the admittedly useless cludge of the internet which are known as flame wars.
I have perpetuated more than one flame war. All of my flame wars have been kept internal (to a select group of people), and intelligent. At least I believed they were intelligent until I was proven wrong. Such things can be done.
Keep in mind that anger is a passion, as well as hatred. The hate response is typically invoked when something a person holds dear, or loves, is assaulted. In this growing culture of information it isn't strikingly uncommon to see people holding certain ideas very dear. Examples can be any of the Holy Wars we see when a person mentions FreeBSD in #linux, or even better, Windows in #macintosh. (This applies to any IRC network, by the way)
I tend to agree that flaming is pointless and wastes my bandwidth, but who's to say that fragments of gold cannot be found in the most tarnished ore? An english professor of mine once expressed her thoughts that email might bring back the lost art of writing letters. Perhaps flaming is just a new way to bring back passion. --
I would just say that you should avoid dalnet alltogether and go to the efnet distribution-specific channels. No matter where you go on IRC you're probably going to get a holier-than-thou attitude, because those who are disposed to helping people have to deal with a lot of questions which could be solved by simple RTFM or five seconds of thought.
On the other hand, good questions are almost rewarded. --
Security and the concept of a secure system is something that is used to let the users sleep at night. People would prefer to think about their personal information being well protected, and often it is simply impossible to keep the data secure and still make it useful. This is the primary problem with "security," in my opinion. How do you keep the system secure, but keep it useful?
In this case, our problem is that we are using username/password authentication to send and retrieve the most sensitive of information. The security of this information could literally make the difference between life and death. However, if you keep the data secure enough that it cannot be compromised, it is no longer useful to your patients.
So we now find ourselves wondering what method of authentication should be used, and how the data should be transmitted. I am of the opinion that public/private key exchanges should take place, and the authentication should take place in this manner. However, I do not believe any current web browsers support the ability for you to generate an https certificate that you use exclusively. If you could generate a public/private keypair that was used for every session, you could use simple challenge-response authentication. SSH uses this scheme with RSA authentication.
Of course, this assumes that the users private key is secure and its private key must be, to a certain degree, secure as well. The last thing you want is patient information disclosed to the masses.
I'm rambling, I know, but these are just my thoughts. --
Admittedly I hate JP and everything he allegedly stands for, but the outcry against SlashDot is quite absurd. JP, like it or not, is a member of the "community." If you wish to show him to be a fool, degenerate, or a fake, simply ask him a question which shows his ignorance.
I do know people who knew JP before AntiOnline gained its fame, and apparantly he was a soul-sucking worm of a person. I've heard that he spent so much time working on AntiOnline that he forgot to bathe, or work towards his High School education.
But then again, how many of us have done the same for our little obsessions?
The hype surrounding this man is amazing, and the fine people at SlashDot know this. As SlashDot has a greater tendency towards understanding those of our mentality, it is left to them to make an attempt to show us the truth behind this man. If SlashDot wants to do a feature on him, let them do a feature. God forbid they come up with potentially useful (or at the least amusing) knowledge.
So, now I guess I will ask a question Why do you hide behind malevolence towards a subculture you don't understand?
Don't get me wrong, online romance can kick ass, but I think the idea of an online romance as being a good idea is just pathetic and absurd. I have had a few online romances, many of which have moved on into meatspace (or have been carry overs from meatspace). It's a great way to pass the time, but don't quit your day job, ya know? --
Slashdot Mirror
Okay, admittedly I'm clueless as to the dynamics of JIT compilation, but from my relatively limited perspective, I do have a few comments about this concept of JIT compilers generating better code than a human.
It makes sense to me that a JIT compiler would generate...ubercode. Of course a processor which is inimately familiar with itself would be able to optimize its activity given a certain situation to fit its own needs. It as if the processor reaches enlightenment.
However, in the case of a Transmeta processor I wonder if the processor has to generate new code every time a non-native assembly program is run, how fast could it be. Is there some kind of cap on the speed of the processor due to its constant compilation?
It seems to me, a person clueless in the tao of the processor that a coder, writing for a specific processor, would be able to create code that executes far faster than a processor generating code from a coders code on the fly.
The degrees of seperation between the coder and the binary should be as small as possible.
--
It seems as if most of the posters on this particular article are not rebuking the author, Mr. Katz, for his brashness. It seems to me as if Mr. Katz has simply had enough of tolerating the admittedly useless cludge of the internet which are known as flame wars.
I have perpetuated more than one flame war. All of my flame wars have been kept internal (to a select group of people), and intelligent. At least I believed they were intelligent until I was proven wrong. Such things can be done.
Keep in mind that anger is a passion, as well as hatred. The hate response is typically invoked when something a person holds dear, or loves, is assaulted. In this growing culture of information it isn't strikingly uncommon to see people holding certain ideas very dear. Examples can be any of the Holy Wars we see when a person mentions FreeBSD in #linux, or even better, Windows in #macintosh. (This applies to any IRC network, by the way)
I tend to agree that flaming is pointless and wastes my bandwidth, but who's to say that fragments of gold cannot be found in the most tarnished ore? An english professor of mine once expressed her thoughts that email might bring back the lost art of writing letters. Perhaps flaming is just a new way to bring back passion.
--
I would just say that you should avoid dalnet alltogether and go to the efnet distribution-specific channels. No matter where you go on IRC you're probably going to get a holier-than-thou attitude, because those who are disposed to helping people have to deal with a lot of questions which could be solved by simple RTFM or five seconds of thought.
On the other hand, good questions are almost rewarded.
--
Security and the concept of a secure system is something that is used to let the users sleep at night. People would prefer to think about their personal information being well protected, and often it is simply impossible to keep the data secure and still make it useful. This is the primary problem with "security," in my opinion. How do you keep the system secure, but keep it useful?
In this case, our problem is that we are using username/password authentication to send and retrieve the most sensitive of information. The security of this information could literally make the difference between life and death. However, if you keep the data secure enough that it cannot be compromised, it is no longer useful to your patients.
So we now find ourselves wondering what method of authentication should be used, and how the data should be transmitted. I am of the opinion that public/private key exchanges should take place, and the authentication should take place in this manner. However, I do not believe any current web browsers support the ability for you to generate an https certificate that you use exclusively. If you could generate a public/private keypair that was used for every session, you could use simple challenge-response authentication. SSH uses this scheme with RSA authentication.
Of course, this assumes that the users private key is secure and its private key must be, to a certain degree, secure as well. The last thing you want is patient information disclosed to the masses.
I'm rambling, I know, but these are just my thoughts.
--
Admittedly I hate JP and everything he allegedly stands for, but the outcry against SlashDot is quite absurd. JP, like it or not, is a member of the "community." If you wish to show him to be a fool, degenerate, or a fake, simply ask him a question which shows his ignorance.
I do know people who knew JP before AntiOnline gained its fame, and apparantly he was a soul-sucking worm of a person. I've heard that he spent so much time working on AntiOnline that he forgot to bathe, or work towards his High School education.
But then again, how many of us have done the same for our little obsessions?
The hype surrounding this man is amazing, and the fine people at SlashDot know this. As SlashDot has a greater tendency towards understanding those of our mentality, it is left to them to make an attempt to show us the truth behind this man. If SlashDot wants to do a feature on him, let them do a feature. God forbid they come up with potentially useful (or at the least amusing) knowledge.
So, now I guess I will ask a question Why do you hide behind malevolence towards a subculture you don't understand?
That is all.
--
Don't get me wrong, online romance can kick ass, but I think the idea of an online romance as being a good idea is just pathetic and absurd. I have had a few online romances, many of which have moved on into meatspace (or have been carry overs from meatspace). It's a great way to pass the time, but don't quit your day job, ya know?
--