python simply not scaleable enough for google?

[Robert Brown]

J Kenneth King <james at agentultra.com> writes:

> mcherm <mcherm at gmail.com> writes:
>> I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the reasons why Python
>> is slow. Most of the slowness does NOT come from poor implementations: the
>> CPython implementation is extremely well-optimized; the Jython and Iron
>> Python implementations use best-in-the-world JIT runtimes. Most of the
>> speed issues come from fundamental features of the LANGUAGE itself, mostly
>> ways in which it is highly dynamic.
>>
>> -- Michael Chermside

> You might be right for the wrong reasons in a way.  Python isn't slow
> because it's a dynamic language.  All the lookups you're citing are highly
> optimized hash lookups.  It executes really fast.

Sorry, but Michael is right for the right reason.  Python the *language* is
slow because it's "too dynamic".  All those hash table lookups are unnecessary
in some other dynamic languages and they slow down Python.  A fast
implementation is going to have to be very clever about memoizing method
lookups and invalidating assumptions when methods are dynamically redefined.

> As an implementation though, the sky really is the limit and Python is
> only getting started.

Yes, but Python is starting in the basement.

bob