Hi Randal,

I'm going to disagree with you pretty hard about this.

I think what you're proposing sounds tedious beyond words. And I don't think
it's what Squeak's about. Databases are tedious. Operating systems are
tedious. Cincom and Gemstone obsess about databases and tedious minuta,
because that's their job. I spent several days reading CentOS archives and I
thought I would pass out, it was so dull.

Squeak is not dull. It's about multimedia, 3D worlds, web development,
desktop applications, etc. Squeak should always be first in space doing wild
things. Whatever VPRI has up its sleeve we should look at and play with.
Squeak is about programming for its own sake not somebody else's. One of the
things that Pharo will have to contend with is sounding reasonable to other
people. If they want to be appealing to business, they will have to listen
to lots of stupidity from people who have databases and operating systems
for brains. I think that's going to be a pretty unpleasant part of their
adventure. That's not what Squeak's about.

Jesse has some crazy idea about object memory? I say great. Fulmer wants to
bring Cobalt to the Trunk? I say that's what we're all about. VPRI has some
craziness called Ometa? Bring it on.

Squeak is not now, nor should it ever be, about boring, reasonable plans.
This is where the cool stuff happens. Dynabooks to the third world? Right
on. If it weren't for the oddness of continuations, Seaside would be dull as
dishwater. Andreas wants to throw generators into the Trunk? Are they nifty?
Yes they are; so let's do it.

Databases are for peasants. We are unique and occupy a unique position.
Let's embrace that. Stop trying to turn us into shadows of Gemstone, Cimcom,
or other merchants of tedium. If Kent Beck isn't happy with Squeak, I don't
see it as our job to cater.

There is nothing else on earth like us and what we do.
Squeak is a never ending game of capture the flag.

Chris
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