Small Mosaic


Categories:

books
career
codinghorrors
comics
events
geekstuff
justdont
languages
languages/bash
linkshot
magazines
meta
misctech
movies
nottech
operatingsystems
operatingsystems/linux
operatingsystems/linux/debian
operatingsystems/solaris
paranoidadmin
perl
programming
python
ruby
security
security/apache
security/tools
serversmells
sites
specifications
sysadmin
tools
tools/commandline
tools/firefox
tools/gui
tools/network
tools/online
tools/online/greasemonkey
unixdaemon

Archives:

January 20095
December 20081
November 20084
October 20085
September 20084
August 200812
July 20089
April 20084
March 20081
February 20081
January 200815
August 20072
June 20079
May 20076
April 20078
March 200731
February 20073
January 200721
December 20061
November 20064
October 20066
September 200632
August 200617
July 200614
June 20069
May 200613
March 200611
February 200616
January 200611
December 20051
November 20056
October 200519
September 200525
August 200516
July 200516
June 200513
May 20052
April 200519
March 200531
February 200520
January 200531
December 200421
November 200430
October 200432
September 200418
August 20047
July 200414
June 20045

Sun, 05 Dec 2004

The Devils in the Details
From an article called Faster Python grabs programmers:
The new version of Python includes a new module that allows system administrators to use small Python programs instead of shell scripts, said Michael McLay, a consultant who is the resident Python expert for the nonprofit Center of Open Source and Government. Shell scripts, written to execute routine system administration tasks, have more security vulnerabilities and offer less feedback when errors occur, McLay said.

I'm pretty familiar with dynamic scripting languages and even I had to scratch my head at that one. My assumption (probably wrong) is that the new Python has some kind of compiling module included but in order to even make that leap you have to have enough experience with non-techs writing tech articles to understand what *they* think the difference between a program and a shell script is. If they assume you have enough knowledge to find the difference then why not spend another sentence and actually tell you some of the 'how' and not just the 'what'. I'm not a supporter of dumbing down news and reporting but a little but can we have some useful context please!

While I can understand not wanting to bog down the average reader in technical details it'd be nice if they provided enough information to aid in a Google search...

Like this post? - Digg Me! | Add to del.icio.us! | reddit this!

Posted: 2004/12/05 16:13 | /geekstuff | Permanent link to this entry | This entry + same date


books career codinghorrors events geekstuff justdont languages/bash linkshot magazines meta misctech movies nottech operatingsystems/linux operatingsystems/linux/debian operatingsystems/solaris perl programming python ruby security security/apache security/tools serversmells sites specifications sysadmin tools/commandline tools/firefox tools/gui tools/network tools/online tools/online/greasemonkey unixdaemon

Copyright © 2000-2005 Dean Wilson XML feed logo