News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:BetrFS: an in-kernel file system that uses Bε trees to or... by throwaway02201 on Wednesday December 01, 2021 @10:15AM (#29404408)
I hope you are being downvoted for the harshness and not the content.

> Like many research projects, this one will also probably last as long as there is funding. Remember, the goal of PhD students is to publish papers, not develop and maintain software. Thus, without skin in the game, I couldn’t trust my data/workloads to such systems.

Sadly true. For-profit companies only care about $$$. Academia only cares about publishing to get funding.

Both options are not ideal for developing trusted and user-focused software in the long term. OpenSSL is a good example.

No-profits really struggle to get funding. Government grants are a mess.

The world really needs a new approach to R&D.

Re:BetrFS: an in-kernel file system that uses Bε trees to or... by globular-toast on Wednesday December 01, 2021 @10:41AM (#29404811)
> Academia only cares about publishing to get funding.

That's just not true. To do well in academia you have to be truly invested in your field. You can just about get by if you're only in it for the papers, but it's just like getting by in a job that you're only in for the money. At the end of the day, though, in a world where everyone is forced to be productive or be homeless, there are times when publishing becomes a necessity. This doesn't mean they only care about publishing, though.

Re:BetrFS: an in-kernel file system that uses Bε trees to or... by esyir on Wednesday December 01, 2021 @11:03AM (#29405113)
It is however, very much a follow the incentives kinda situation. Just as the monetary incentive can also bring about many unwanted behaviour. The pride /publication based incentives introduce their own flavour of dysfunction.
Re:BetrFS: an in-kernel file system that uses Bε trees to or... by goodpoint on Wednesday December 01, 2021 @12:40PM (#29406692)
> To do well in academia you have to be truly invested in your field

I never said the opposite. For individuals it takes a huge lot of dedication.

But academia, as a whole entity, is being forced into the publish-or-die mindset.