>From Squeak Central, via Dan:

> I hope you will find Squeak 2.3 to have been worth the wait.  I'm 
> particularly happy that we have managed to keep it backward compatible, 
> and that the new plug-in interface will allow future enhancements to 
> Jitter independent of the normal Squeak release schedule (if you can call 
> it that ;-).

I have found every bit of Squeak worthwhile -- the changes proposed above 
are exciting and promising -- particularly the facility to add pluggable 
changes to parts of the interpreter.  (I am always curious where a 30% 
improvement was found, by the way -- where'd you find it this time?).

I note that a number of folks are making lots of suggestions concerning 
improvements, feature additions, bug fixes and changes.  This is precisely 
what Open Source Software is about, and is, IMHO a very good thing.  Some, 
however, seem frustrated that these changes aren't coming out of Squeak 
Central, or coming quickly enough, almost threatening to "spin off" a new 
variation.

This is not threat -- it is the point of OSS -- uncontrolled spinoffs are a 
virtue, not a vice.  If the present custodian isn't doing something you 
want or need -- go ahead and do it yourself.  If the present software 
doesn't suit your interest and you are not inclined to make the change or 
wait for it -- use something else that does.  If it doesn't yet exist, make 
it (and please consider making it OSS).

Changes can be added and incorporated in the "central" release, or not, as 
the "market" for information demands.  If it is a minority interest, the 
spinoff will eventually wither and "die" (only in the sense of falling into 
obscurity), or become a feature for a small sub-community.

As to the suggestion that Python or some other languages "have it all," I'm 
not sure I can agree -- its really a point of religion.  Python has things 
Smalltalk does not and vice-versa:  (1) real dynamic memory collection 
(particularly when doing a GUI in Python -- just try to avoid losing RAM 
due to Pythonesque circular references -- and try to detect them without a 
real debugger; (2) Squeak actually delivers what no other platform does 
well: "write once, run everywhere."

Python is so far from this goal as to make things laughable -- several of 
its libraries are available only in Python form on some machines, making 
them too slow to be useful, while the libraries are staples on others. 
Tkinter doesn't work so well across formats, particularly the Macintosh 
when you seriously try to get meaningful applications working -- (the 
button and window thing does work great, but so what?).

Write once, run anywhere is both a virtue AND a vice, since it means that 
differences in native operating systems aren't meaningfully captured.  This 
is great for a kids game where the entire screen is captured by the 
program, but not so great when printing facilities, multi-windowing 
facilities and interaction with the native User interface is desired.

But these are religious matters -- Guido makes his tradeoffs and spends his 
time working on what interests him.  He is motivated to incorporate the 
conributions that make the language more worthwhile, so long as it isn't 
anathema to what he is trying to do.  The extensibility of Python makes 
this not only tolerable, but routine and ultimately livable.

What I am saying is that Smalltalk has its place today, as well as a place 
to go tomorrow.  The neat thing about OSS is that it seems to capture the 
best of the forces to do follow all the stars.  I have more specific 
suggestions of my own, but that would detract from my present point. 
Smalltalk has had a small, but profoundly strong following for decades, 
with all faults, and some of those voices earlier expressed the concern 
that voices here would try to change things.  Now, some of the voices that 
seek change seem reticent at an apparent "inertia."

Of course, neither view is the right one.  Changes must be welcomed and 
criticlally evaluated, even when they come rough and ready and barely 
working, with broad acceptance of the idea that the marketplace of ideas 
will relegate the less important ones to obscurity and the more important 
ones will be incorporated in the principal release.

I, for one, can't wait till 2.3 comes out.  I look forward to offering my 
own criticim of the status quo, goading for changes I like, and 
contributions of others that only I seem to like.  This is how we "prove it 
up," in the OSS world.  Build it, and they will come.