On 7/1/99 12:04:47 AM EDT, dway at mat.net writes:
<< Re: >> ...  a "Smalltalk Web Server" to come on the scene. ..>>
 
<< Actually, the important thing is that it must be cross-platform in the
 sense of running on different OS platforms.  I don't think it's necessary
 for it to work across multiple Smalltalk implementations (VW, VA, Dolphin,
 Squeak, etc.). >>
 
Actually, wouldn't that fact that it ran on Unix (Linux) and NT be adequate.
Almost all service providers today provide services in this form. Except for 
local networks, the other platforms don't currently provide many additional
commercial realizations.

The real problem, faced by some of recent mail in this distribution, is how 
to get 
commercial service providers (either Unix or NT) to host Swiki (Squeaky 
Wikis) 
web servers. Ward Cunningham showed us how to do this with CGI scripts 
(at least I think that's how the c2.com stuff works), and service providers 
do 
support private CGI hosting.

I have several ideas that I would have started (as Squeak PWSs) if I had a 
commercial internet service provider that would allow me to run a Squeak 
program on their machines. I would like to be able to experiment with new 
PWS ideas, but even a 'fixed' Swiki implementation would be better than 
nothing.

This is one case where we outside of academia may envy their more flexible 
resources.

As an added footnote, solving this problem could be critical to the 
Squeakiness
of the KILLER APP.  This killer app (assuming that it's desirability is 
increasing) is also
available in the original CGI form. Rapid success of PWSs without 
availability of commercial
internet provider support for Squeak based PWSs would give the nod to 
CGI-based 
implementations (I see a number sprouting out there which are of this form). 
We've got to be able to see the same kind of availability for Squeak based 
ones.

Jerry Archibald
System Objectives