---
# System prepended metadata

title: 'UKAEA RSE Team Journal Club: 2023-05-25'

---

# UKAEA RSE Team Journal Club: 2023-05-25


:::info
- **Location:** K1/0/85
- **Date:** 2023-05-25
- **Article Link:** <https://www.computerenhance.com/p/performance-excuses-debunked>
- **Agenda** *TODO*
  1. Brief intro `2 min`
  
  2. Discussion `28 min`
- **Participants:**
  - AA, KZ, MF, CM, SG, HS, GG, KC, SP, JN 
- **Host:** SP

:::

## Brief Intro

SP - what does everyone think?

## Discussion

JN - thought it was uncontroversial, "pretty obvious" but he took his conclusions too far because there are cases where it doesn't apply. 

CM - don't have to hyper-optimise performance

HS - eg an interface to another library

AA - hotspots can be fixed. 

CM - wonders if in scientific where a lot of the time is inputs and setting up the process, if that's true

SP - professional pride in software quality ...

JN - number of users * time saved vs number of software development time. Looking on a cae by case basis. 

AA - user requirements/what are the speed limits

SP - is it too late once you've written something and the data structures are set. The architecture can be key.

HS - examples from incredibly large companies where its obviously worth it.
Good software design modular can swap out later?

AA - disagrees with author's claim that hotspots don't exist. His experience in data suggest that there is

MF/KC arguing about the semantics of the article. He comes off very strong. Divisive videos get views.

CH - subjective and ultimately up to the user requirements

CM - easy to use vs speed trade off

SP - enviromental costs?

A few digs at various codes around site

SP - "you need to have more respect for yourselves"

More digs at other codes

JN - jintrac can take 3 months to run, a 1/3 impact would really speed it up

SG - difficult to speed up jintrac with modern methods

AA - people will rewrite code if needed
Sanket - issue is that scientific community have their old reliable software which they trust.

SP - moose moving meshing tools that it uses in the background. Very difiicult to perform that separation cleanly.

CM - project management very hard.

SP summary - "EVERYONE AGREES WITH ME, THE END"




