I got OpenTelemetry to work. But why was it so complicated?

Re:I got OpenTelemetry to work. But why was it so complicated? by niftaystory on Friday January 10, 2025 @04:01PM (#42660168)

All those things you describe are computable metrics. They have to be or Otel itself would not be able to compute them for consumption. All you described are cherry picked semantic indirections to obfuscate it’s all just a computer computing metrics of its own memory states.

Sorry for knowing how computers actually work (EE grad not a CS grad). I know that can frustrate CS grads who think their preferred OS and favorite programming language is how a computer works. You’re describing how contemporary SWEs view their day job.

Edit: teleMETRY …what’s in a name? Oh right …meaning.

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Re:I got OpenTelemetry to work. But why was it so complicated? by chupasaurus on Friday January 10, 2025 @04:47PM (#42660654)

As a no grad to EE grad: traces mean a bundle of metrics that varies in structure hence you can't store and process them as effective as a list of counters unless you have a distinct bin for each possible trace, combinatorial explosion y'know.

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Re:I got OpenTelemetry to work. But why was it so complicated? by andrewflnr on Friday January 10, 2025 @06:55PM (#42661796)

You know the conversation is going well for you when you resort to citing the "meaning" of a name instead of, you know, base reality. Who needs the territory, I've got my map right here.

Speaking of meaning, the best I can make of your point is that you're using a much broader definition of "metrics" than the rest of this conversation, and in particular broader than Prometheus (remember context? very important for "meaning"!) supports. That or you really just don't know what a "trace" is (in this context).

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Re:I got OpenTelemetry to work. But why was it so complicated? by mathfailure on Friday January 10, 2025 @07:27PM (#42662048)

To be a smart-ass, one has to be smart first. Quit this.

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