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Computer Science Is All About Tradeoffs

I oftentimes have a student or client remark, “I love how technology X does Y! However, I don't like X because it does Z.”

I don't know what else to say other than, “Ok,” or “I concur,” because after all, that's what computer science, and perhaps all of engineering, is all about - tradeoffs. There is no silver bullet. There is no panacea. Solutions are created to solve a specific problem, but the solution has shortcomings or deficits in other areas. That's life as a software developer.

If there were a silver bullet, if some technology existed that solved all the problems with no shortcomings elsewhere, we'd all be out of a job.

posted on Friday, March 13, 2009 10:37 PM

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# re: Computer Science Is All About Tradeoffs 3/14/2009 4:35 AM Andrei Rinea

I completely agree! Even more, I would venture to say that your idea does not apply only to engineering but to most of the trades in this world too..

# re: Computer Science Is All About Tradeoffs 3/18/2009 1:23 AM Yasko

This looks familiar :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_free_lunch_theorem
However, you can always find a solution better for all possible problems and yet worse for some impossible cases.

# re: Computer Science Is All About Tradeoffs 3/19/2009 8:26 AM Aakash

Well Said.

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# Keeping ELMAH's Error Log Size In Check 7/10/2009 8:52 AM Scott on Writing

# Keeping ELMAH's Error Log Size In Check 7/10/2009 9:09 AM ASPInsiders

Error Logging Modules And Handlers (ELMAH) is a free, open source error logging library for ASP.NET applications

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Tuesday 51917.2%
Wednesday 55618.4%
Thursday 58019.2%
Friday 54718.1%
Saturday 1886.2%
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Hour1Total% of Total
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Total 3020100.0%

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