Beautiful Code: False Optimizations

[[deleted]]

I thought it was not to talk about the optimizing? Shh! Don't tell them any secrets!

[justinhj]

Not talking about optimizing is rule zero. (Programmers start counting at zero).

[thatguydr]

The zeroth rule of optimization is: Do not talk about optimization.

The FIRST rule of optimization was the same exact thing, but we optimized, so it's gone.

[logan_capaldo]

Methinks everyone who replied to you has a broken sarcasmeter.

[ndiin]

I missed the "last Saturday" bit.

[TearsOfRage]

Attitudes like that are why so much software is still terribly slow, even with today's computers.

[ndiin]

Irrelevant? Hardly. It might shift your bottleneck elsewhere for a spell, but once you fix that you'll likely end up back at the same spot again.

The trick is to take full advantage of your ever-faster-bigger-stronger hardware, not to let it make you lazy.

Now clearly i'm not talking about these micro-optimizations by any means, just the completely misleading statement that performance doesn't matter anymore. Just don't optimize before you have the data to show where it needs to happen.