I have developed, over the course of 18 months (and through all the
uncertainty of the fate of ObjectStore/VisualWorks), a "prototype" model of
the United Kingdom's National Grid. This project was so successful that they
coined the phrase "Operational Prototype" so that it could be used on a day
to day basis for checking Contingencies (interoperating with mathematical
modeling C programs developed by a University). The model was updated every
15 minutes as data became available which then generated input files for the
mathematical modelling programs.

I was able to sell it to the Management on the basis of an iterative
development where they could see steady progress (as mutual learning took
place).

Java was considered, but it missed the boat! :) 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alan Kay [mailto:Alan.Kay at disney.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 1:08 PM
> To: squeak at cs.uiuc.edu
> Cc: recipient.list.not.shown; @cs.uiuc.edu
> Subject: Re: fun and empowerment (missing the boat).
> 
> 
> Smalltalk is trying to be an airplane (if not a spaceship), 
> so we want it
> to miss the boat! Let's just make it fly and we won't have to 
> worry about
> boats ....
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Alan
> 
>