Had I been criticized harshly here as a new monk I would have turned tail and run away from the monastery faster than you can say "python".

I think I'm going to have to try to be a touch more sensitive and maybe tone down the line where I consider something harsh. I certainly wouldnt want to be responsible for scaring someone away.

as such it hurts to have my art criticized

Very true. But knowing that your code could be dissed only makes positive feedback all the sweeter. Again however im going to keep this in mind. I normally consider myself to be of the "Programming is an Art" school, (a debate Im glad hasnt come up here even though it was almost invited in ;-) but I tend not to take the next step and think of code as a piece of art. But I suppose in enough ways it is, and that has a bearing on how I would criticize. For instance there are things I would say to my colleagues or programmer friends about their code that I would never think of saying about a picture they had drawn or a piece of music they had played.

I feel and I hope to convince others here that the lack of a tough hide shouldn't pose a barrier to entry into our ranks.

Yes this is true. And the next time I'm inclined to be harsh I'll think again, especially with a newcomer.

Thanks alot,

Yves / DeMerphq
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Writing a good benchmark isnt as easy as it might look.