[WikiEN-l] Try out the rating scheme

[Poor, Edmund W]

> >Jimbo's plan calls for everyone being able to rate, including 
> >not-logged-in users. This will be for test purposes only; 
> the ratings 
> >from the test phase will be deleted again, once the 
> statistics people 
> >got their hands on it and can hopefully tell us how to fine-tune the 
> >rating process.
> >
> >The "performance hog myth" dates back to the very first 
> version. I have 
> >worked on the problematic parts and IMHO they should be 
> good. I can't 
> >be certain without real testing, though. However, I doubt it will 
> >degrade performance in the initial phase; if there's a 
> problem, it will 
> >most likely show once there are at least a few hundred thousand 
> >ratings. There will be many write/delete queries on the table, which 
> >might lead to table locks; this might be countered with low priority 
> >queries, though.
> >
> >Magnus

If testing this new feature does NOT cause the servers to slow down
immediately, then there is no reason not to try it out. Someone had
claimed an immediate TRIPLING of access time, but Magnus says "I doubt
it will degrade performance in the initial phase", and I believe him.

Magnus is one of the three people whom we all trust the most at
Wikipedia. If he says there's no risk in a live test of a new feature,
then I say there's no risk. 

Tim Starling, do you agree?

Ed Poor
Former Developer