[Squeakfoundation]Order of business ...

[Cees de Groot]

Jimmie Houchin <jhouchin@texoma.net> said:
>While we may not have a quote "best of breed" app in any particular area 
>as you say we have many (I hate to put this way) "good enough) apps.
>
I *love* to put it this way. MS Office and StarOffice are best-of-breed
apps, in their market. They're bulky, bloated monsters and no-one uses
more than 5% of their features. IMNSHO, Squeak should aim at supplying
'good enough' apps and giving the user - or at least the nearest techie -
the means to make it 'just what I need' apps.

>I believe these apps and others (as they come) will grow and improve as 
>3.4 matures.
Improve yes. I think I can do without the growth ;-)

>I would love to use Celeste but its UI doesn't 
>currently meet my needs.
>
You don't like the GUI. I don't like the fact that it doesn't IMAP. Alice
doesn't like the fact that it doesn't do full-text search. Bob doesn't like
the fact that it doesn't have an attachment database with preview buttons and
free indexing feels. Carol doesn't like the fact that it doesn't do her
laundry. 

Now, how are we going to make sure that Celeste becomes to everyone what
everyone wants without making it a bloated monster? I already read my mail
with a bloated monster (Mozilla), I don't need Celeste for that. Here lies the
challenge, I think.

>Because apps in Squeak are in a live environment they can improve 
>magnitudes in short order.
>
Absolutely. However, pointing this out in a marketing campaign steps
firmly on the long toes of developers that work in language D+#^, who
are certain that their language is the most productive one in the world...

>I know I've seen many from the Python community come and go. I've stayed 
>because I saw the potential which I've seen nowhere else. The potential 
>is unequaled.
>
That's because the Python community people expected a great language, a
great development environment, and are used to great documentation. They
didn't find all that and decided to stick with Python. Lesson learnt:
marketing/sales is for a big part about managing expectations. If we entice
them with a development environment and give them Croquest, even though
Croquet is the greatest thing since the greatest thing since sliced bread,
they are going to turn away. 

-- 
Cees de Groot               http://www.cdegroot.com     <cg@cdegroot.com>
GnuPG 1024D/E0989E8B 0016 F679 F38D 5946 4ECD  1986 F303 937F E098 9E8B
Cogito ergo evigilo