+1.
Squeak is a different in many ways.
First, it teaching look differently on previously 'trivial' things. A
different UI 'shock' is the best way to leave all 'industry standarts'
behind when you getting into Squeak. And then UI is a first least
thing which coming in mind, when you start discovering how different
programming could be comparing to those 'standard' ways.
I came here looking for something different, to discover different
ways, and points of view. And squeak helps a lot with this.
I will be not overstatement, if i say, that for few years that i'm
with squeak, i learned about programming more than for rest of my
life.
This, separately, says a lot more than anything else.

2008/7/3 Stéphane Rollandin <lecteur at zogotounga.net>:
>
> ok I see I did hurt some feelings so let's be a bit clearer...
>
> there are many serious environments for serious programmers doing serious
> jobs for serious reasons. but there are not many things like Squeak, both
> well grounded in quality, fun and lively, even in the look: childish, not
> serious at all, but tremendously interesting and a real catalyst for
> creativity and experimentation.
>
> so when I read over and over people complaining that it does not look
> serious enough, my feeling is: why, how come these people are doing Squeak
> in the first place ? can't they leave us alone having fun with our
> non-serious, colorful, clumsy, unclean mess of great software ?
>
> some people want to kill morphic, others want only to kill etoys, others yet
> what to clean up everything with weapons of mass refactoring, more people
> just want to get rid of all colors and kill the mouse, which they did (you
> know, the animated mouse head with following eyes we had up to 3.8, which is
> the first thing my young children see when I work in squeak; and sometime I
> let them play with it).
>
> I know I'm pushing the thing too far here and that things are not so simple.
> but at times I feel the need to state publicly that among all you people
> serious and professional (who I actually do respect, with your own
> expectations), among *us* there are people like me who like Squeak as it is,
> messy and fun and colorful.
>
> the sentence I (over-?)reacted to was the following:
>
>  "As a professional programmer used to other tools like Eclipse, Visual
> Studio, Dolphin, Visual Age - the bar is quite high and Squeak struggles to
> attract new blood in its default incarnation."
>
> see the bits in it:
> "professional programmer" ... so what ? any better than me ?
> "used to other tools like Eclipse, Visual Studio, Dolphin, Visual Age" ...
> so why change ?
> "the bar is quite high" ... because we all have to do the same things in the
> same way, with the same interface and the same look and feel ?
> "Squeak struggles to attract new blood" .. ah yes I forgot, we are in a
> cruel world were struggle and competition rule, it's a war actually; Squeak
> needs more blood else, else, else what ? what kind of blood should we
> perfuse ?
>
> ... so, no personal attack intented, and with all respect due to its author
> who I do not know at all, this sentence summarize a lot of what I think
> heads Squeak to the direction of insignifiance: pushing it in the Right
> Tracks, dumb, grey, boring and professional. for what ? who is going to win
> anything when all colors are gone ?
>
> Squeak is an amazing, unique environment demonstrating a very unique way to
> do programming. if it was not unique, I would not care that it becomes a
> standard development tool for serious people. but since it is unique, I feel
> compelled to answer back when what I feel is part of its paradigm, nature,
> originality is threatened. but of course that's just me.
>
>
> that's it, sorry for the noise...
>
>
> Stef
>
>
>



-- 
Best regards,
Igor Stasenko AKA sig.