Speaking both as a Squeaker of sorts and as a techno-journalist who has
chosen not yet to discuss much about Squeak publicly yet, I can tell you
that there is pent-up demand out there for information about any
language that will solve real-world problems faced by the people
building the Internet and the Web.

I mentioned Squeak almost in passing on my "Project Heresy" radio show
at CNET Radio a few weeks ago and was literally inundated with requests
for followup information. I positioned Squeak as a viable
platform-independent development language with a graphical interface
that had the promise of making Linux more viable as a deplooyment platform.

I've talked with the Squeak team once or twice about doing a column  or
a feature about Squeak and the Web/Internet but they feel -- and I agree
-- that we're not yet ready for prime time attention. But I have to tell
you, the itch gets stronger all the time.

"Andrew C. Greenberg" wrote:
> 
> > What I'm concerned will happen is that sixteen zillion Java programmers will
> > see this and think, "Kewl!  A new way to do <applets/beans/whatever>!!".
> > They'll flood the Squeak servers with downloads, will get turned off when it
> > doesn't look-and-feel like C or VB, has no "sandbox" (litter box? :-),
> > doesn't do <applets/beans/whatever>, doesn't "interoperate" with
> > Java/VBScript/whatever, and the next article written will be titled "Squeak
> > Fails To Live Up To Promise".  <sigh>  Journalists...
> 
> Fear not -- this is the virtue of open source -- if it isn't what they
> want, its their fault for not making it so.  As a CS/hacker sophisticate,
> yet Softalk newbie, I shared these urges/instincts, but owing to my general
> deference, thought I'd study the matter for awhile before making such
> overarching attempts to inject an unstudied aesthetic into a clearly
> well-developed culture.
> 
> But trust me, more ideas are better -- even if they are bad ideas.   That's
> the whole notion of the Bazaar.  The bad ideas will die out, and the good
> ones -- including those synthetic "make this more like that" ideas that
> aren't bad ideas will evolve into the "next great thing."
> 
> Have faith -- there are great minds out there, and Squeak is for everyone.

-- 
Dan Shafer, Looking at Technology from Every Angle
Home Page: http://www.gui.com - Email: dan at gui.com
There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.