Re: TIOBE Programming Community Index for November 2007

[Markus E L <development-2006-8ecbb5cc8aREMOVETHIS@ANDTHATm-e-leypold.de>]

Martin Krischik wrote:

> Markus E L schrieb:
>> Martin Krischik wrote:
>> 
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> You, I don't like the index, but it is there, widely used and I think we
>>> have to deal with it.
>>>
>>> And currently we deal badly - place 20 - one down and we are off the scale:
>>>
>>> http://www.tiobe.com/tpci.htm
>>>
>>> Yes, sure those Lua advocates must have fixed something to gain 32 places in
>>> one year:
>>>
>>> http://www.tiobe.com/tiobe_index/Lua.html
>>>
>>> But then it shows that they have a dedicated comunity which can fix
>>> something. Why can't we?
>>>
>>> On a lighter side: Visual-Basic overtook C++ ?!?
>>>
>> 
>> 
>> "The ratings are based on the world-wide availability of skilled
>> engineers, courses and third party vendors."
>
> That's the logical description. Physically it is done 'by counting hits
> of the most popular search engines. The search query that is used is
> +"<language> programming" '

The problem with hat method is that it doesn't count "popularity", but
"activity", meaning, if people start mass migratring away from a
language, one might get a situation in which the language is being
mentioned rather often.

> One problem we face is that "most popular" now excludes usenet and
> google-groups :-(. See:
>
> http://www.tiobe.com/tiobe_index/tpci_definition.htm

:-). Those indices are worth nothing, simply.

>
>> That might explain a lot: C++ programmers are presently much in
>> demand, VB programmers are getting phased out. that the index
>> basically measures (partially, at least) is unemployment.
>
> Well it's more a measurer of:
>
> <META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT="XXX programming">


Yes, might be. I hope you noticed my smiley (it was a ;-) ...), but
I'm at least partially serious: Those methods measure whatever they
count, but definitely not popularity.

Regards -- Markus