Smalltalk.org™| main

Articles in the Extending Smalltalk series:

Openings for the Future of Smalltalk
written by Peter William Lount
version 1, 20041206 01:07am PST

In Tyranny Considered Beneficial Colin Putney and Ian Bikling cover some very relevant issues regarding the way that the future of Smalltalk is evolving:

"... much of the disconnect between Smalltalk and the newer breed of dynamic "scripting" languages stems from this difference in social organization."

In my view it's precisely this so called "disconnect" that is enabling and encouraging innovation in the Smalltalk language space by so many different individuals. In other language projects, such as PERL, the effort to standardize a new version and remain "compatible" with pervious versions stifles innovation. The "disconnect" actually creates openings, and these openings are being exploited. In "genetic programming" an environment is created that fosters "genetic" mutation and maximal variablity for the explicit purpose of opening possibilities that might lead to discovery and innovation. I sense in the current environment of users and programmers involved with Smalltalk and other langauges that they are deeply dissatisfied with the stale and staid corporate offerings on the altar of static langauges frozen in a time that is best forgotten. Even the Java devotees are exploding the variations of that frigid intellectual wasteland of the new COBOL as evidenced by their activites and papers presented at OOPSLA 2004 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. There is a powerful undercurrent to burst out of the constraints holding the expressiveness of millions in check.

Fortunately for Smalltalk influenced systems those constraints have never been a factor as the language invites freedom of expression due to it's magical and simple core big idea of "objects communicating with messages" in a clear, concise and simple manner.

In the coming years tens of billions of computers and untold numbers of applications will be built. To support those activities systems need to evolve to enable many more people to communicate with computers and instruct them on what they want accomplished. If people a hundred or a thousand years from now will program the way we do now our dreams of lives augmented to benefit mankind will be dark indeed. The best has yet to come and some of the new Smalltalk influenced systems will likely be leading the way for generations to come.

It's clear from the OOPSLA papers on Java that they won't be providing systems that are any easier to program than today's. Each and every Java extension paper presented at OOPSLA 2004 added complexity. Just what we don't need.

The future is BIG! Billions of new computers in the next few years to replace and agument the exsting billion PCs. After those, tens of billions more next generation systems running with multiple CPU cores at 10 GHz. After that, nano-computers, with millions of dedicated cores running unclocked as fast as nano-particles can flow. Systems where objects really are their own computers, maybe even their own Quantum Computers. The future is BIG and as such it's important that you think BIG while being grounded in each succisive generation of technology as it is realized in the marketplace.

When there are billions and billions of computers niche markets become large markets. Cracks in Microsoft and Sun's static technologies become strategic advantages for your clients that are compelling drivers that will be leveraged. The path less travelled may well be more rewarding.

Lemmings will follow the leaders in the market with their "me too clones" that mimic the great COBOL of cubicaled captive programmed minds. C# copies Java, Java copies C#, in a never ending vicious circle serving up cycle after cycle, version after version, of a stale vision that cripples the potentials and innovations of the trapped unknowing souls. Take the red pill, learn Smalltalk, set your mind free. Have your whole company take the red pill. Become a leader.

At his Turning Lecture a month or so ago Alan Kay demonstrated how a meme needs a critical mass to shift the paradigm so that what was once not permitted, what was once crazy, what was once illegal, what was once taboo, what was once only for poets and artists, what was once impossible in the minds of the masses, becomes the reality that has people wondering how it was any other way. Remember popping your own popcorn at home? At first, after what seems like an eternity, one or two kernels pop, then after a shorter eternity a few more pop, the rate picks up and many begin popping. After a while each one almost causes it's neighbour to pop and the vast majority are popping. In Alan's demonstration this critical threshold was about 60%. Each new version of Smalltalk is the sound of a new kernel popping. A new idea being driven by an innovative soul who will not rest with the status quo. A person who actually listened to or fits the description of Apple Computer's famous "Think Different" advertising campaign. A person driving innovation forward. A person whom when succesfull will lead the lemmings into a future where they are set free from their lemmingness and encounter their own self expression and self direction.

What is Smalltalk? Smalltalk is a unique computer langauge. Why and how? Smalltalk is unique because it enables and gives you the freedom of choice that no other system provides. Smalltalk is unique in that it's the most advanced "Literate Computer Langauge". Smalltalk is unique in the many ways that it's extensible.

Ultimately there are two basic groups that define the success of computer langauges. The masses of lemmings who wish to reduce their risk by ensuring that they follow the crowd. The other group sees the opportunities that the tools used by the crowd don't provide and seize the day and create their slice of the future out of nothing. Some of these go on to be the next leaders with the masses following. Time and their actions and results will tell who they are.

Innovation requires that many failures will occur. It's a critical strategy called "failing forward" and the most well known example with billions of instances realized in use is the lightbulb. (Depending on the story) over 10,000 (or over 2,000) ways of NOT MAKING a light bulb were discovered by Edison and his staff before a first sustainable light was achieved. Now we are just entering the era of the Light Emiting Diode that will usher in the enlightened energy age. This holiday season LED lights are all the rage with energy savings on the order of 90%.

The future of computer languages and systems will eventually lead us to the invention of software's equilivant of the light bulb and a new era of interation with computers and information systems will be born. Yes we are still failing forward with systems that only give us light for the briefest of moments. The computer revolution has not happened but first light can happen, will happen. As Mr. Smith is fond of saying, it's enivitable. It's a possiblity that drives many forward.

What is absolutely essential is that these efforts continue forward. To think that Smalltalk is standing still is to be uninformed and disconnected from the known activies and results progressing forward.

Cross politation of ideas is part of the key to fullfillment of the dream of information systems and languages that are more natural for real people concerned with getting on with what is most important in their lives. This is why I'm studying other computer languages and systems other than Smalltalk: PERL, Java, C#, Haskell, LISP, PROLOG, and the other 1,000+ languages too numerous to mention.

Being grounded in the reality of actual projects keeps technology relevant to those willing to part with their money and other resources. Much of the above is very visionary. The development work going on with the various versions of Smalltalk is grounded in reality. As Walt Disney said "visions are values projected into the future." The above is an attempt to express and impart my values of what is important, of what I see in the future for the ultimate "language", the ultimate decendent of Smalltalk. Maybe I'll fail, but I know that some of us will succeed. I know it because we are succeeding in pushing the frontiers of what is possible with open dynamic Smalltalk influenced systems forward in ways that even a few years ago wouldn't have seemed possible. Each of the new Smalltalk systems under development demonstrate various openings that push the frontiers forward, some are opening major possibilies for new expressiveness while keeping the spirit, vision and expressive freedoms alive.

Check out the new versions. They are grounded in reality and they offer an alternative path to successfull implementation of your systems.

Colin goes on to mention a number of ways that Smalltalk is evolving that are important to cronicle in this continuing series on extending Smalltalk.

There's no "offical Smalltalk" that one can refer to for a language definition, and so we end up using either Smalltalk-80 or ANSI Smalltalk when the need arises. Of course, the real meaning of "Smalltalk" is more of a weighted average of all the dialects, a kind of eigenlanguage that you can only absorb though experience.

Ian [Bickling] is absolutely right, there's no one to ask for a change in the language, but neither is there anything to stop you from doing it yourself if you feel the need. And isn't that the spirit of open source?

In order to support the "weighted average" of all the dialects of Smalltalk this series on extending Smalltalk aims to provide insights into all of the known existing, proposed, and planned extensions to the original Smalltalk-80 language specification.

Ian [Bickling] wrote: "In the end, it doesn't seem like Smalltalk is an evolving language, and there's no one to even go to to ask for new features (who would realistically respond in a positive way)."

Yes, it's clear that there isn't one person sheparding and driving Smalltalk forward as there is with PERL. With Smalltalk there are many people acting upon their ideas by opening up new futures for Smalltalk with their Smalltalk influenced languages and systems. The new systems in the Smalltalk Versions list is an indication of that and direct evidence of the current active evolution of Smalltalk. The view that Smalltalk isn't evolving can't be supported by the evidence. Take a look and see for yourself.

I invite you to communicate your vision for a future of Smalltalk. Take advantage of the openings created by all of those who are evolving Smalltalk and contribute your values to a shared vision. I, and others, invite you to participate with any of the existing Smalltalk versions and extension projects that are taking place and make a difference. I know those of us working on these new systems will welcome your constructive contributions. If you choose, create your own version of Smalltalk. Part of what is unique about Smalltalk is that it enables you to express yourself and by so doing create and potentially contribute a value version of Smalltalk to your community (of one or many). There is an opening for you in the future of Smalltalk. Join in, get active, there is much to be done. If you wish Smalltalk.org will publish your ideas on the future of Smalltalk. Let us know what they are, write an article, write an email that encapsulates your vision. Let's shape the future of Smalltalk.

Articles in the Extending Smalltalk series: