Hoi! Eliot wrote:
Pharo isn't inspired by Smalltalk; it /is/ a Smalltalk. Trying to be mealy-mouthed about it and claiming inspiration, rather than proudly declaring its a Smalltalk is IMO as bad as apologizing for it being dead... We don't need to avoid the S word...
Sean later wrote:
...it's a question of who you're marketing to. Since we're marketing to non-Smalltalkers (quite wise since 16% market penetration is the tipping point, and we're not there yet), clearly "Pharo is Smalltalk- inspired" is the thing to say. It's not any more or less true than the latter, just more useful in its context.
And of course, with apologies to Alan, some of us think the name "Smalltalk" was a poor choice from day one (in 1971). Surely there are names which are suitably "innocuous"[1] but also convey some of the magic in "providing computer support for the creative spirit in everyone"[2]. "Smalltalk" is a vague and anemic name. From that weak starting point, the other baggage is even heavier (perhaps it's helpful to think of a balloon here? :). I would use a new name and not mention "Smalltalk" at all unless asked about it. At that point, I would proudly recount accomplishments. Whenever someone just blurts out that Smalltalk is dead, I always correct them, and it's not difficult. "Smalltalk-inspired" is a non-starter, because it implies (in all contexts) that there isn't a direct line of descent (there clearly is). I agree that it sounds mealy-mouthed, disingenuous. "Smalltalk-derived" would be the honest phrasing, and also sounds bad. Yeesh, if you have a problem with the "Smalltalk" name, don't be the first to mention it. :) Let's put more energy into a concise and intriguing description. I think the primary concepts are programming, dynamism and messaging. The word "livecoding" seems to resonate these days. If we're going to repeat a word twenty times, I would choose that one. :) It has a nice ring that draws people in. When they ask what livecoding is, you can describe dynamism, and then describe how the coding is structured (messaging, objects, etc.). thanks, -C [1] http://gagne.homedns.org/~tgagne/contrib/EarlyHistoryST.html [2] http://tinyurl.com/25s52qd (archive.org, Ingalls) -- Craig Latta www.netjam.org +31 6 2757 7177 (SMS ok) + 1 415 287 3547 (no SMS)