Smalltalk isn't the ultimate language for me, either. I happen to like Go a lot. And it's conceivable that someone may come up with another truly great programming language in the future.
There is no such thing as perfection, but no other language could come closer than Smalltalk. Well, maybe Scheme, but I always have trouble grokking this language. I'm amused by the vast number of new languages that have popped up over the past decade or so. Every one of them purports to be easy to use and highly productive...once you get passed the learning curve, that is. To me, all of these languages are simply repackaging language features in different combinations and interpretations in pursuit of the mythical benefits of productivity and efficiency. They are basically chasing after their own tail. The common metric they all seek is "expressiveness". They think the ultimate in expressiveness may come from functional programming, or some weird algebraic syntax, or whatever else they dream up. What a colossal waste of effort. Meanwhile, the solution has been in front of them for four decades. Go figure. [email protected] wrote > Richard, some people choose to face it and some to evade it. It’s okay. > > I actually see as healthy that people try bold strategies aligned with the > missions they embrace. > > And I also see that is okay the community as a whole tries many strategies > because concentrating is too risky and eventually from quantity comes > quality. > > Nature loves to try everything and select what works best selecting in > retrospective. > > The things that end up providing good results will have appreciation and > replication in the next generation and the things that results so-so would > be part of the story because even if reality wanted to go other direction, > that people followed their mission and made their contribution. > > So time will tell. > > Recently I’ve answered in Quora this question What is the most influential > software product or programming language that was ever created? > <https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-influential-software-product-or-programming-language-that-was-ever-created/answer/Sebastian-Sastre?__snids__=868638797&__nsrc__=1&__filter__=all> > and I cited the interview to Steve Jobs where he is telling the story of > how he was inspired by seeing Smalltalk demoed in the Alto. After that, he > knew how to create the right UX in the MacIntosh. > > That story is so crucial and inspiring that Malcom Gladwell > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Gladwell> wrote in the New > Yorker about it > <http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/16/creation-myth>. > Painfully enough for us, not mentioning Smalltalk in his writing which was > the artifact at the epicenter of that inspiration (I really wonder why it > wasn’t mentioned, is really weird). But even if it wasn’t mentioned, it > doesn’t matter, not even Gladwell can re-write history and Smalltalk had > and has a protagonist role in it. > > Given that Smalltalk has actually inspired Steve at that moment in time > and the consequences in our culture, the impact is so massive that I am > surprised that anyone would not to chose to embrace it with arms, legs and > teeth. > > But, as said, that’s okay. The Multiverse has space for everybody. > Possibilities are more abundant than ever. > > I think that everybody’s contribution is valuable, the Pharo community in > particular, and that we are very lucky in having you wanting to do some PR > for Smalltalk in general and Pharo in particular. > > Lastly, I don’t see Smalltalk as the ultimate language but for me is the > one that is less far away from it. > > Until that utopian language of the future gets real, you’ll probably found > me stuck to Smalltalk :) > > > > >> On Jan 1, 2015, at 9:26 PM, horrido < > horrido.hobbies@ > > wrote: >> >> I think if Smalltalk has a negative connotation, you don't run away from >> it, >> you change it! That's what Smalltalk Renaissance is all about. >> >> Is changing a negative perception easier or harder than running away from >> it? That is a very interesting question, and there is no obvious answer. >> However, as I indicated previously, your attempt to run away from it has >> completely, totally, and utterly failed. Something to think about. >> >> >> >> Ben Coman wrote >>> On Thursday, January 1, 2015, Ben Coman wrote: >>>> I refer to the two paragraphs following "On pharo being a new >>>> language". >>>> I think Sven's response addressed these the best. >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> View this message in context: >> http://forum.world.st/The-Smalltalk-Renaissance-Program-tp4797112p4797582.html >> Sent from the Pharo Smalltalk Developers mailing list archive at >> Nabble.com. >> -- View this message in context: http://forum.world.st/The-Smalltalk-Renaissance-Program-tp4797112p4797595.html Sent from the Pharo Smalltalk Developers mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
