> Orchid XP v3 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> > I think he's hinting that finding the right pivot is the "hard" part
> > of the algorithm, and if you get that wrong you get poor
> > performance...
> 
> But that doesn't make quicksort a bad sorting algorithm.

Exactly. So, the lesson we learn from this is the following: An
algorithm or system for which you have to work hard to avoid
pathological cases can still be useful.

Now, if we remember the above, and apply it to Andy's statement:

> I have no idea why after all these years people still think reference 
> counting is a good idea. It's so trivial to find an example where it 
> utterly fails...

then it is easy to see why after all these years people still think
reference counting is a good idea.

I thought my original reply was both concise and clear, but maybe I was
the only one to think that.

It is often said in teaching that if you tell someone something he'll
forget it almost immediately, but if you make him work it out for
himself he will remember for longer.

-- 
"Listen to your users, but ignore what they say." - Nathaniel Borenstein
http://surreal.istic.org/          Calm down, it's only ones and zeroes.

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