[comp.arch] "?*stones"

alan@pdn.nm.paradyne.com (Alan Lovejoy) (03/15/89)

                       --- The Stone Collection ---

14 March 1989          Compiled by Alan Lovejoy            Largo, Florida USA

The following is a list of mostly whimsical benchmark names that have been
proposed by a host of people on USENET, by my fellow employees at 
AT&T Paradyne, and by myself.  These benchmark names are modelled on
the names of some actual benchmarks (Whetstone, Dhrystone, Dhampstone,
Rhealstone and Iostone) which usually have the form ?h*stone.

I regret to say that when I first started compiling this list, I was only
doing it for my own personal use and therefore it never occurred to me
that I should keep track of authorship.  I would appreciate it if any
authors could contact me to claim their rightfull credit if they see
their benchmark name listed here without attribution.

Many of the names were suggested by multiple sources.  I have made no
attempt to figure out who was first; it is best to simply assume that
all suggesters arrived at their names independently, and to leave it
at that.

Benchmark Name:  Object(s) of benchmark                     Author

    --- Names suggested by me:

Fhlintstone:       computer graphics animation                Alan Lovejoy
Lhintstone:        measures performance of "lint"             Alan Lovejoy
Whrystone:         funniness of ?h*stone benchmark name       Alan Lovejoy
Bhridgestone:      computer aided civil engineering           Alan Lovejoy
Fhirestone:        thermodynamic modelling                    Alan Lovejoy 
Ghrindstone:       text processing                            Alan Lovejoy
Lhoadstone:        program loading                            Alan Lovejoy
Bhirthstone:       process creation                           Alan Lovejoy
Hhengestone:       celestial navigation                       Alan Lovejoy
Philosopherstone:  artificial intelligence                    Alan Lovejoy

(I have seen the same or similar suggestions from others that were posted
after I thought these up myself.  I have never posted any except Fhlintstone
until now, however)
    
    --- Names suggested by my coworkers:

Hheadstone:        rate of defunct process creation           Steve Fowler
Rhinestone:        from Duke University...measures program ESP   Roy Crabtree
Warestone:         hirsuteness                                Ware Lynch
Wherestone:        navigation                                 Ware Lynch

    --- Names suggested by USENET posters whose names I failed to record

Rhosettastone:     natural language translation (I can't believe I missed this!)
Rhollingstone:     DSP music generation
Fhlagstone:        boolean algebra/logical machine operations
Lhinestone:        vector graphics
Lhynestone:        wire-fram graphics 
Bhlarneystone:     for use in measuring performance of vaporware
Lhivingstone:      anthropological ability
Bhlackstone:       magical ability; unix wizardry
Ehverybodymustgetstone: hipness of a system
Slyandthefamilystone:  funkiness of a system
Baudstone:         serial io
Sahndstone:        silicon compiler performance
Soahpstone:        daytime tv viewing
Whatstone:         statistical verification of random number generators
Whystone:          heuristics 
Nhetstone:         measure of similarity to USENET
Nhewstone:         measure of similarity to television news
Khidneystone:      medical diagnostic expert systems
Ghallstone:        measure of frenchness        
Yhellowstone:      ability to put out fires
Mhilestone:        ability to meet deadlines
Mhillstone:        degree to which something impedes progress
Sticksandstone:    measure of how insulting something is
Thunderstone:      noise generated by union leaders after a strike is called
Touchstone:        pixel resolution of touch screens
Standingstone:     availability of goods in the Soviet Union     
Swhordinthestone:  elected official's ability to lead
Lhymestone:        mineral exploration software        

    --- Names suggested by USENET posters whose names I did record

=======================================================================
From: uunet!gatech.edu!abhijit%pyr (Abhijit Chaudhari)
Rhollingstone:	A benchmark used to determine the amount of distortion in
		the power supply.

Phreciousstone:	Measure of the $$ spent on a computer system.

Hhstone:	A benchmark for determining the quality of benchmark names.

Lhithpstone:	Measures the efficiency of the lisp interpreter.

Stohnehenge:	Used to measure the power of previous generation computers.

Xhf25qcdtstone:	Measures the efficieny of a random number generator.

Khillstone:	Benchmark measuring the physical damage caused to a compter
		terminal when a process crashes.

Swhearstone:	Efficiency of verbal abuse (can be run alnog with Kihllstone).

rm*hstone:	Measure of the amount of work undone by a silly error.

==========================================================================
From: uunet!ernie.Berkeley.EDU!carlson (Richard L. Carlson)

I just thought of a benchmark I would actually like to see run:
   Mhenustone : measures the number of pop-up / pull-down menu items that
	a system can draw per second.  It would test raw CPU performance,
	special graphic hardware support, and operating system efficiency;
	and it would probably give a good indication of a menu-based
	system's speed as seen by an interactive user.

==========================================================================
From: uunet!RELAY.CS.NET!BROOKS%csss-a.prime.com
David Brooks   Internet:       BROOKS@CSSS-A.PRIME.COM
               uucp:           {mit-eddie,uunet}!csss-a.prime.com!brooks

Shumnerstone

...for benchmarking PostScript font rasterization.

Lhodestone

...cartography applications

Fholkestone (English end of Channel Tunnel)

...quantum-effect technology

Shoapstone

...bubble memory technology

========================================================================
From: uunet!cbnews.ATT.COM!ara (a.r.adolt)
from: bob adolt
      att-bl

HharryStone = legal "bench"-mark.

=======================================================================
From: uunet!decwrl.dec.com!amdcad!pop!prem (Prem Sobel)

"Ehlizastone", a measure of how many times per second a computer and
operating system can misundertsand or misinterpret the commands you give.

=========================================================================
>From: esf00@uts.amdahl.com (Elliott S. Frank)
Elliott Frank      ...!{hplabs,ames,sun}!amdahl!esf00     (408) 746-6384
               or ....!{bnrmtv,drivax,hoptoad}!amdahl!esf00

ShlyStone -- measures speed of machine in providing random answers
             to meaningless questions.

===========================================================================
Path: pdn!uunet!peregrine!elroy!ames!mailrus!iuvax!watmath!watmsg!sccowan
>From: sccowan@watmsg.waterloo.edu (S. Crispin Cowan)
Reply-To: sccowan@watmsg.waterloo.edu (S. Crispin Cowan)
Login name:	sccowan			In real life: S. Crispin Cowan
Office:		DC3548	x3934		Home phone: 888-6375
Post Awful:	280 Phillip St., Apt. B1-15 Waterloo, N2L 3X1
UUCP:		watmath!watmsg!sccowan
Domain:		sccowan@watmsg.waterloo.edu

lhodestone:  how long it takes to load a program/boot the OS.
thombstone:  how many processes the OS can kill/sec.

==============================================================================
>From: aglew@mcdurb.Urbana.Gould.COM

> Ehstone -- how many Canadians, like, worked on the system, eh?

Je me souviens-stone  --  how many expatriate anglo-quebecois
			  worked on the system?

==============================================================================
>From: snoopy@sopwith.UUCP (Snoopy)
         tekecs.gwd.tek.com!sopwith!snoopy		 qiclab!sopwith!snoopy
         sun!nosun!illian!sopwith!snoopy		parsely!sopwith!snoopy

Fhrankenstone: number of times benchmark can die and be resurrected per second

This benchmark is currently very dangerous to run, as an electrical storm
is required.  It is hoped that a low power technique can be found for the
next release.  An industry spy overheard the principal researcher asking his
assistant to "Put   the   stack-pointer   back."  It is believed that the
researcher was trapped in a subroutine at the time.  Sun's SPARC technology
currently leads the pack in this benchmark, but mAMP, a joint venture between
MIPS and AMPhenol hopes to overtake SPARC with their on-chip battery design
fed by special high-current connectors which also serve as the chip's heat
sink.  Company spokepersons were unwilling to reveal how many milliamp-hours
their product would cache on-chip.  Public confidence in the new product
was dampened at an early demo of a prototype unit which used a defective
cpu and a pair of automotive battery clamps from a junkyard.  The prototype
paniced easily, and the public demanded it be dismantled.  Improvements
to the prototype, including a voice-synthesis unit, has calmed public
fears of the new technology.  It's not easy being on the cutting edge.
"Hard drives and kilobytes are tinkertoys, I'm talking about the central
networking system."

==============================================================================
>From: dave@motto.UUCP (dave brown)
|  David C. Brown		|  uunet!mnetor!motto!dave		      |
|  Motorola Canada, Ltd.	|  416-499-1441 ext 3708		      |
|  Communications Division	|  Disclaimer: Motorola is a very big company |

Sorry, I can't resist.  More benchmarks:

Bhirthstone - speed of new product development (measured from conception
		to delivery).
Hheadstone  - speed of product obsolesence.
Kheystone   - speed of DES cracking (ref. recent RISKS)

==============================================================================
>From: shields@yunccn.UUCP (Paul Shields)

Fhred Fhlintstone:	tests for neanderthal operating systems
Rhollingstone:		For use on CMOS technology
Throwstone:		tests for glass houses
Mhonumentalstone:	In mockery of benchmark tests
			(with apologies to P.B. Shelley)
Yheatstone:		"Too long a sacrifice / Can make a stone of the
			heart / O when may it suffice?"

================================================================================
>From: pa1343@sdcc15.ucsd.edu (John J. Marco)
| John J. Marco -- pa1343@sdcc15.ucsd.edu | 
| ...!uunet!sdcc15.ucsd.edu!pa1343	  |  

Khirbystone:	The noise volume of the cooling fan of a PC.

=============================================================================

In addition to new names, new usages for that name are also welcome.

Enjoy.

-- 
Alan Lovejoy; alan@pdn; 813-530-2211; AT&T Paradyne: 8550 Ulmerton, Largo, FL.
Disclaimer: I do not speak for AT&T Paradyne.  They do not speak for me. 
__American Investment Deficiency Syndrome => No resistance to foreign invasion.
Motto: If nanomachines will be able to reconstruct you, YOU AREN'T DEAD YET.