Todd Blanchard wrote:
> Given that AFAICS you've spent the better part of your career hacking 
> Smalltalk rather than working in the mudpits, I'm not giving your view 
> from a distance a lot of weight.

This is certainly fair as a personal point of view. But since you are 
running for a position as a representative of the Squeak community, I 
would like you to answer the question with your hat as a (potential) 
member of the SqF board. Is a discussion of these issues even worthwhile 
in your understanding? Should we actively pursue changes? Do we need to 
protect the pureness of Smalltalk? (I'm trying to phrase these questions 
as unloaded as possible since I am honestly interested in learning more 
about your view on these issues)

> I have years of full time development in these languages - C++ expert, 
> Java expert, Objective C expert.  Smalltalk - I'm just pretty good.

I didn't question your expertise (but thanks for giving background, it 
*is* helpful to understand the perspective with which you look at 
Squeak). I was interested in finding out if you see Squeak (both 
language and system) moving or not. If you would like to see it moving 
or not. And perhaps into which direction (but this is a loaded question 
if there ever has been one so you don't need to answer). Etc. If I was 
poking a little to directly, I apologize. I'm trying to get a "feel" for 
you and (honestly) you have been making statements which you either 
haven't thought through very well or which you need to back up with 
serious evidence and detail.

You can't just go around and say "every language asymptotically 
approaches Smalltalk" and "there has been nothing worth stealing from 
the mainstream" as a representative for Squeak. It will get you laughed 
out of the room, and I'll be amongst the laughing (and silently 
embarrassed to have voted for people that make such silly statements).

Cheers,
   - Andreas