Re: Alan Cox quote? (was: Re: accounting for threads)

Rok Papež
2001-06-20T19:37:21Z

Hi!

It's hard not to reply to this kind of message but there is so much
"anti-thread hype" here that someone obviously has to stand up to it.
This reply isn't aimed just at Larry but at all the anti-thread-rant
people with 0 threads == 0 problems attitude.

On Tuesday 19 June 2001 18:09, Larry McVoy wrote:
> "If you think you need threads then your processes are too fat"
> ``Think of it this way: threads are like salt, not like pasta. You
> like salt, I like salt, we all like salt. But we eat more pasta.''

Here are more from the same basket you obviously got the first quote from:

------------------------------------
Virtual memory is only for unskilled programmers who don't know how to use
overlays.
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Protected memory is a constant 10% CPU hog needed only by undisciplined
programmers who can't keep their memory writes in their own process space.
------------------------------------

> Threads are a really bad idea.

I could *say* the same about Alans co-routines and Async IO :-). But it
would be foolish of me to criticize something I haven't used.

There is more than one way how to skin a dinosaur. And threads are one
way of doing it. You don't like it ? FINE. But don't go bashing it.

Probably most people bash threads becouse of a silly way POSIX designed
(designed is an overstatement) their pthread API and becouse UNIX was
around before threads thus probably making every UNIX thread support a
hacked and not a designed tool.
Other OSes have certainly proven threads to be nice and usable.

And here is another one for you quotes page:
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If you can't stick your head out of your own backyard please... don't
go and crtiticize the world... :-)
------------------------------------

--
best regards,
Rok Papež.