James,

shocking news. I hope you'll continue being a helpful Smalltalk marketeer, even without a Cincom name tag on your breast.

I guess I can say you've done great in supporting the Smalltalk world - regardless of dialect.

I wish you all the best for your next steps.

Joachim

Big fan of yours both here and on the podcast. I wish you well. I would encourage you to look at other languages in your job search (e.g., Ruby, Scala, Groovy, etc.). My Smalltalk has served me well in picking up these.

Have been following your blog & podcasts for years and learned a lot about the Smalltalk world. Whatever you may do next, make sure to keep the good stuff coming.

All the best.

Good luck. Your podcasts really helped me to become a professional Smalltalker.

Soemirno

Best of luck, James. Your promotional activities changed Smalltalk from something I heard about to something to try and explore.

B U M M E R. That sucks.

Best of luck Jaro.

My sincere hope is that in 6 months time (or ever faster if possible) you're able to luck back and say "turned out to be the best thing ever."

I'm sorry to hear and wish you the best. May this turn into an opportunity for good things to find you and/or you to find them.

One door closes, another opens... I'm sure you'll be back on top in no time. Best of luck in the job search!

James,

just as others here in the comments, I learned a lot from your blog posts and podcasts. I'll just use this opportunity to thank you for all the work.

Anyway, good luck with your job search, I hope it'll be a quick affair and you'll soon be back working in the Smalltalk world.

I am - as most here - a bit shocked about this news! Everything happens for a reason and as Travis and Tom already mentioned, things surely will soon appear mate!

I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye over the years, but this deeply saddens me. You will be deeply missed. You have been instrumental in helping to focus development efforts and your input and guidance will be missed. All my best.

Shocking news indeed.

How long have you been with Cincom?

Who is going to continue VW product management?

How is Cincom doing business wise?

Between ParcPlace, ObjectShare, and Cincom, I've been there for 17 years. Arden Thomas will continue to be the Product Manager; as to how the business is doing, you'll have to ask someone who's working there - I'm going to take the no comment route.

I'm surprised and sorry to hear that, James. Your ability to keep up a steady stream of screencasts, podcasts, etc. has been astounding. I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do next.

Very sorry to hear the news. I came back to smalltalk through your podcasts and screencasts. You have a very unique talent, I hope your next position allows you to continue.

One of the reasons I decided to use VisualWorks for my projects is the support that you and your team provided. I hope both you and Cincom prosper.

I have really enjoyed your work.

Good Luck,

Erik

Hi James,

Soon after discovering Seaside I found your podcasts. They were and are my window onto the the exciting parallel universe of Smalltalk - which I wasn't at all aware of before listening.

I wish you well and selfishly hope you continue podcasting.

Nick

Hello James,

we where in contact while signing agreement of SmallCOM/X and we where talking about our BPM-Suite OfficeTalk. I am sad to hear, that you leave Cincom. But Smalltalk is everywhere in the world. I whish you all the best for your future work !

Josef Springer

I'm sorry to hear that. Your work has been very helpful to the international Smalltalk community and lots of people has learnt a lot from your podcasts and screencasts.

I wish you all the best. Good luck.

Jordi

James,

Sorry to hear that. But your contributions were always beyond VisualWorks and maybe you can continue and find your place in any organization like STIC, ESUG, etc.

Good luck.

Adrian

Your activities were and are still inspiration for me to tell the world about Smalltalk. I'm sure you will continue and find a new place. Wish you all the best!

Thanks for your hard work promoting Smalltalk!

All the best for you!

Bernhard

Good luck James. Smalltalk would be a fraction of where it is without your effort over the last decade.

Wow, how'd I miss this news, huge shocker!

James, I have a ton of respect for what you do here, and hold it up as a bright and shining example of what companies need to do to further the adoption of their products using social media. You've been doing it so long, you were so far ahead of 99% of all companies on this front. You're definitely a leader in this area.

I'm certain you'll find yourself a cool gig, or gigs, doing what you love. In the meantime, enjoy a little time off. I'm looking forward to whatever the future holds for Mr. James "Talk Small and carry a Big Class Library" Robertson.

All the best,

Rob

Well I'm sorry to hear about this news.

Your Smalltalk Daily's have been a great help to me over the last 2+ years as I've (independently) studied Smalltalk (after a 12 year hiatus).

I hope you maintain a presence for the community as well as find satisfying Smalltalk related employment soon, as opposed to being stuck in the .NET doldrums like me ;)

Regards,

Todd Edwin King

I'm sorry to hear the news, best of luck James!

I am sorry to hear that - you did an excellent job at promoting Smalltalk!

Hi Jim. This is a big loss for us!! Yet I hope you'll be able to stay an active supporter of Smalltalk. In any case I wish you all the best for all your endeavours, job wise and for your private life! Hope to see you sometime.

Helge

Dear James,

Thank you for all the great work, good luck to you and your family.

Regards,

@+Maarten,

Jim,

You've always been the go-to guy at Cincom when I had questions or problems. I hope you find rewarding work very soon.

Jeff

That's shocking news and quite a loss :-(

I wish you the best of luck!

-Thorsten

James,

I'm shocked and I can hardly believe it!

I wish you this will be the start of a better life

Giorgio

Sorry to hear that.

Ouch! Shocked! Still cannot believe this!

Best of luck James.

bstj

It's shocking.

You have helped me a lot in last ten years though you may not know me just like others you have helped. Both by your videos and by your answers to mailing lists.I'm an long time amateur from China.

Well I just have seen you as the "face" of cincom. And just because of this I've considered using Cincom for "serious" software development, despite their attitude towards small development companies. I never will like the idea that I just can ask. How much for xy installations, regardless on what I'm planning to do with it. This simply sucks. I can not see that is's Cincoms business if I'm using Cincom for teaching Smalltalk or ditribute a Smalltalk based solution to my customers and have to pay for courses on my software. If I add this announcement and the last Smalltalk daily. I have to conclude Cincom is not particular friendly towards their customers and employees. That's IMHO not a good assurance to found one's business on Cincom....

Hello James,

thank you for your podcasts and other things you've tried out to make Smalltalk more popular. Even for me as a VASmalltalker your Internet posts/podcasts were very interested (because they were also about Smalltalk in general and not only about VW) and I tried to hear/read all your stuff. Due to your work I always had Cincom products in mind - though I decided not to use them.

Good luck to you and keep on going and I'm sure we will here from you in our community.

Many, many thanks, James, for all your work for Smalltalk over the years! Of course I'm sad to see you leaving Cincom, but it's great that you're not leaving Smalltalk. Your marketing skills and experience are second to none.

I wish you all the best, and I'm sure you'll find a great new position soon - and go on to make a real diference wherever you are.

Thank you for your screencasts, podcasts, and general commentary on all things Smalltalk.

Best of luck for your job hunt.

PS: You _have_ to add your new blog to [link 1]

[1 http://planet.smalltalk.org/]

Add me to the list of all those you helped along the Smalltalk trail over the years. Your constant stream of screencasts, podcasts, and enthusiasm was/is impressive and really helpful. I hope you can find a way to continue your Smalltalk advocasy. Good luck.

Yes yes. Best wishes. Many happy returns. Up with Smalltalk and you did a great job. All that. And more.

But now, let's us all just quietly go back to sleep. Here.

When you say you are taking the no comment route it doesn't sound good for VW Smalltalk. Or maybe it does. It sounds like some kind of hard feelings though. But I don't know about what. Perhaps the CEO doesn't know what VW is really and sees it only like a blind investor would looking at its profit chart from an extreme far out of sight pointy haired distance. And that would be bad for VW. Really bad. Or maybe good *incom is outsourcing everything to India? And that made you mad? Except for the CEO of course. No the CEO can stay here. No need for the CEO to move. Ya blind sheepish sleepers. Sorry. And that made you mad? Mad enough to quit? Some patriotism there? For the old US of A? I hear it's hot there. In india. And the other *lace too. If you s*nd all the jobs from here over to there I think that you should follow them over there and not come back. If I could make it so I would. Don't come back mr outsourcing CEO man who wants to shill live here after this country is gutted. Just go away. And don't come back. Mr Tr*itor CEO man.

My conceit. My conjectures. My rant about outsourcing in general. Sorry I messed up your congratulations jarober but I had to be said. Wake up people. The CEOs of this world's animal urges are fully intact. So one CEO said apon hearing that the people might lift one heavy eyelid up and see. And they are coming to gut you like veel people. And they'll go VEE VEE VEE all the way home. Sorry. The CEOs are giving 100% unlimited to your timely and quick demize people. And now even the ones from overseas. Can get in on it. Thanks to judge what's his name.

So best wishes. Sorry my rant messed this up. Best wishes. Wake up.

You set a great standard for podcasting and screencasting, I'm hoping you can continue to forge the same great results wherever you end up next! I'm hoping that difference will be in another Smalltalk community as we appreciate your hard work over the years!

Reading the comments above, you would think the man had died.

I don't want to sound callous (leaving a company on unhappy terms always sucks, more-so after 17 years)

BUT there is a big up-side..

Fundamentally, Cincom Smalltalk is a defensive business -and its a LOT more fun to work when you are on the offence (with say, Pharo, or the in the wider "web eats oldschool enterprise" game).

SO I'm expecting great things from James, and from the "podcast formally known as.." (and with the incredibly un-catchy name).

Finally (if obliquely) -my favourite Dan Ingalls quote, is a recent one -from his ee380 lecture on Lively afaik (not the "seven give or take one"). The guy introducing him talks in glowing terms about the quality of Smalltalk and how unfortunate it is that Smalltalk lost the language wars -then goes on to talk for a while about the new stuff Dan is doing, blah blah blah.

When he begins, Dan remarks; "About the language wars.. It's not over till the fat lady sings"

Now *that* is the right attitude :-)

Best wishes, James, you've been an inspiration to me for many years!

I, too, am in a similar position to you at the moment, so I know a bit of what you're going through, and I know that it sucks. But on the other hand, change doesn't always have to be bad, and I'm optimistic that you'll soon find an even better situation.

There are a lot of people out here that appreciate you and all the hard work you've done for Smalltalk, and I'm sure that you won't have to wait too long to find what you're looking for.