Thanks for your reply Alan.  I understand that your research is meant to
find completely new ways to create software.  It's fascinating and fun.

 

I agree with David about the importance a 'snapshot' at least, in whatever
form you can afford to deliver it.  An archive file with sources and
run-able versions of your projects and maybe even an hour long screencast
showing how to start up and play with them in their most interesting and
useful way might inspire people to take your work and turn it into something
useful and valuable.  Who knows how your research could possibly be used in
surprising and productive ways that would put a smile on your face.  I would
hate to see what you've done disappear into the haze.

 

Have you considered that VPRI's STEPS research could be used as the basis
for some projects in the next Google Summer of Code session?

 

Thanks for the very inspiring work you've been doing.  I look forward to
reading your next report.

 

-Carl

 

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
David Girle
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 5:18 PM
To: Alan Kay; Fundamentals of New Computing
Subject: Re: [fonc] Final STEP progress report?

 

If analogies from other industries work, it is not the role of scientists to
deliver production ready systems, that has been the role of engineers.

Maybe a snapshot before you push on, would allow others on this list to
learn more from your science projects so far.

It may help the engineers more fully understand the technologies, as some of
us work better with papers + artifacts, rather than just papers.

 

With respect,

 

David

 

On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 4:02 PM, Alan Kay <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Carl

Just to keep on saying it ... the STEPS project had/has completely different
goals than the Smalltalk project -- STEPS really is a "science project" --
or a collection of science projects -- that has never been aimed at a
deployable artifact, but instead is aimed at finding better and more compact
ways to express meanings. 

We did make it possible to exhibit and permute a wide range of media in
real-time -- it makes it much easier to show people the results of important
pieces of code this way -- but this is quite a ways from the packaging and
finishing that was done for the Smalltalks.

However, it would be possible to do something analogous to a Smalltalk from
the current state of things, but we are instead pushing even more deeply
into "Whats" rather than "Hows".

Cheers,

Alan

 

 


  _____  


From: Carl Gundel <[email protected]>
To: 'Fundamentals of New Computing' <[email protected]> 
Sent: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 2:45 PM


Subject: Re: [fonc] Final STEP progress report?


Thanks Kim.  Will there be enough documentation for interested people to be
able to build on top of VPRI's STEPS project?  I'm thinking something like
the blue book with a CDROM.  :-)

-Carl

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kim
Rose
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 5:37 PM
To: Fundamentals of New Computing
Subject: Re: [fonc] Final STEP progress report?

Hello,

For those of you interested and waiting -- the NSF (National Science
Foundation) funding for the 5-year "STEPS" project has now finished (we
stretched that funding to last for 6 years).  The final report on this work
will be published and available on our website by the end of this calendar
year.

We have received some more funding (although not to the extent of this
original 5-year grant) and our work will carry on.  That said, we're always
looking for more funding to maintain day to day operations so we welcome any
support and donations at any time.  :-)

Regards,
Kim Rose
Viewpoints Research Institute

Viewpoints Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving "powerful ideas education" for the world's children and advancing
the state of systems research and personal computing. Please visit us online
at www.vpri.org <http://www.vpri.org/> 





On Nov 8, 2012, at 5:23 AM, Carl Gundel wrote:

> Well, I do hope that VPRI has managed to find more funding money so that
this doesn't have to be a final STEP report.  ;-)
> 
> -Carl
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Loup Vaillant
> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 1:45 PM
> To: Fundamentals of New Computing
> Subject: [fonc] Final STEP progress report?
> 
> Hi,
> 
> The two last progress reports having being published in October, I was
wondering if we will have the final one soon.  Have we an estimation of when
this might be completed? As a special request, I'd like to know a bit about
what to expect.
> 
> Unless of course it's all meant to be a surprise.  But please at least
tell me you have decided not to disclose anything right now. In any case, I
promise I'll be patient.
> 
> Cheers,
> Loup.
> 
> PS: If I sound like a jumping impatient child, that's because right
>    now, I feel like one.
> _______________________________________________
> fonc mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc
> 
> _______________________________________________
> fonc mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc

_______________________________________________
fonc mailing list
[email protected]
http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc

_______________________________________________
fonc mailing list
[email protected]
http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc




_______________________________________________
fonc mailing list
[email protected]
http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc

 

_______________________________________________
fonc mailing list
[email protected]
http://vpri.org/mailman/listinfo/fonc

Reply via email to