Subject: Re: benchmark
To: Igor Shmukler <shmukler@mail.ru>
From: David Maxwell <david@crlf.net>
List: tech-perform
Date: 01/25/2005 13:35:08
On Tue, 25 Jan 2005, Igor Shmukler wrote:
> I am sorry about not using ascii.

Thanks - the lines in this post are still rather long, but at least
they're not all strung together. The previous mail was so difficult to
read that I couldn't be bothered.

> About flaming. I am not a fan of publically humiliating anyone. It's
> a wrong thing to do. In fact when the person who started this sent an

The problem I see, is that instead of asking a question about Hubert's
intentions, you came out and said that he's a liar. That's a very
accusatory tone to start a conversation with, and really doesn't
encourage people to work together to sort out issues.

> However, I don't like when an entire community gets crapped upon. In
> this particular instance without any merit.

I think you are overreacting. One email, saying that a new benchmark
shows that NetBSD outperforms FreeBSD is not 'crapping' on an entire
community. Discussion of the benchmark is reasonable, but if any
comparison between OSs is discouraged, everyone (on both sides) loses.

> If the author thinks that admistrating FTP for an amiga port and
> writing a networking FAQ gives him a license to lie and spread FUD, I
> wonder why did not anyone came to his defence. Perhaps I am not totally
> alone.

I think Hubert was pointing out that as a NetBSD port-master and
developer for ~12 years, he has more than a little bit of credibility as
a responsible and reasonable person. Accusing him of lies and FUD is not
likely to be taken well, when you are not known in _this_ community, and
he is.

> What I do not like is FUD and dishonesty.

Slow down. Here's what I see:

Hubert posted a link to some benchmarking that was done. He didn't do
the benchmarking, and he didn't extend conclusions from it, he just
copied the statements in the report, essentially.

So, as far as that part goes, it seems you're shooting the messenger. 

I fail to see any FUD or dishonesty on his part here. Certainly, the
applicability of any particular benchmark to any real-world workload can
be argued (or tested).

As for further comments about what feedback Hubert got on the post - I
certainly don't have access to his inbox. I'm guessing you don't either,
so how are you justified in calling him a liar for summarizing the
responses he received?

I'm inclined to agree with Hubert (and not just because of the respect
he's earned from prior behaviour), and suggest that you went way
overboard, and do owe him an apology.

-- 
David Maxwell, david@vex.net|david@maxwell.net --> Mastery of UNIX, like
mastery of language, offers real freedom. The price of freedom is always dear,
but there's no substitute. Personally, I'd rather pay for my freedom than live
in a bitmapped, pop-up-happy dungeon like NT. - Thomas Scoville