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IM 112: Is Smalltalk Obsolete?

January 28, 2013 10:06:54.758

Welcome to episode 112 of Independent Misinterpretations - a Smalltalk and dynamic language oriented podcast with James Robertson and David Buck.

This week Dave and I talked about an old saw that keeps coming back around Smalltalk projects - "Is Smalltalk Obsolete?"

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posted by James Robertson

Comments

Re: IM 112: Is Smalltalk Obsolete?

[Marten Feldtmann] January 31, 2013 6:02:20.335

The question is more than ok, but your discussion is from the wrong view:

You mention, that it is not difficult to learn Smalltalk - the other problems (e.g. domain specific) are more important. Well, if the other problems are more important - perhaps it would be better for those person to stay with their programming language - a programming language they are used to and they know how to express the things. Why learning a new language ? What are the benefits of learning this new language ?

James mentioned, that Smalltalk may not be chosen in several domains (e.g. games) - well, if a language is not suitable for that domain, you may ask yourself: what IS the domain, where Smalltalk is suitable for AND why is it not able for a specific domain ?

David mentioned several other programmers having different ideas about programming and they would not fit into a Smalltalk team. Well, why is a Smalltalk-team different from another language in this aspects ?

And yes: popularity is important. I've read a very interesting interview with the new blackberry boss here in Germany. He simply stated, that Apple did it right. Apple got the "private" side of the managers and then these managers wanted the iPhone technology also at work - even though Blackberry would perhaps a better suit at work.

And after all. Just answer the question: where is the domain, where the super-hyped library people are urgently waiting for to play with - in Smalltalk.

What are the answers for Smalltalk in the increasing Internet community ? Find these question and show demos with this technology.

Most of "small" answers come from the Squeak/Pharo community - the vendors are more or less out of the game. They have to satisfy their customers and have no time to make new innovation.

As David mention at the beginning of the talk: "... lot of companies are STILL using Smalltalk ..." - the "STILL" can be interpreted in lots of ways :-))

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