Re: Programming Languages Decisions - Earthquake Forecasting - August 18, 2008
Posted by Skywise on August 18, 2008 at 18:18:23:

My first thought after reading this entire post - actually, it occurred somewhere in the middle - is that you are terribly naive about several things.

First of all, if you want to write a serious computer program, and one where the source code is distributed for others to see, use, and change, then you need to use a language that is common to the endeavor. In the commercial world that language is C++. However, in the scientific world, FORTRAN is used as it natively supports the level of mathematics required for such applications.

Perl is a terrible choice for what you are doing.

Based on your current post and previous ones, you are going about some of the features of your programming half back asswards. For example, using external "programs" to do certain work for you that should be done from within the main program, or at the most using external "libraries" of code. For example, you do not send key stroke commands to another program to trick it into thinking someone is punching the keyboard, you link to a library of functions so your program can communicate with it directly.


"This is something that I have been explaining to the international scientific community for quite a few years. The response has generally been that other data do not show that. And my response has then been that the wrong types of calculations are being done to make those comparisons. People need to use the types of equations I have been discussing. The response has then generally been to do nothing. Scientist who have responded in a positive manner have usually gone off on their own to try to publish papers etc. And I never hear from them again."

Perhaps you should be using their 'calculations'? Based on your naivete regarding programming, I suspect a level of naivete in this area as well. Perhaps your 'calculations' have a fundamental error that these scientists readily recognize. And considering the nature of what you are trying to accomplish, they take the attitude that you aren't worth further effort on their part and politely listen and then move on to more important work.

Since you are making a claim that goes against the consensus of previous work - "other data do not show that" - then it is up to you to provide the evidence that shows that all their previous work is in error and why you are right. You do not expect them to prove you right for you. The burden of proof is upon the claimant, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

"Because of the moderately large size of that file, at least five megabytes, I cannot store it for downloads at my personal Web site."

Perhaps you should invest in a 'real' website? I don't know your financial situation, but there are many services that will host a real website for not a lot of money. I pay less than $200 a year for my hosting which may seem like a lot, but the services available are premium class. I have room to grow without the need to upgrade services.


"COMPUTER VIRUSES"

If you are concerned that those hosting your software may sneak in malicious code, then you need to distribute your code with an MD5 hash that is only published on your personal web page. That way, anyone downloading the software from a questionable source can perform an MD5 hash on the files downloaded and be reasonably certain that the code has not been altered.


Finally, if you are intending to release your source code for public consumption and allow people to change the code and possibly distribute those changes, then you need to seriously look into one of the many "open source" distribution licenses out there, such as the GNU General Public License.

Brian


Follow Ups:
     ● Re: Programming Languages Decisions - Earthquake Forecasting - August 18, 2008 - EQF  01:38:26 - 8/19/2008  (74256)  (0)