Hacker News Reader

Comment by cubano | Hacker News Reader

Fucking Smalltalk...

This...what do you call it? A mindset? A way of life? The answer to all questions? Because you cannot simply call it a programming language that's for sure.

I started programming in 1979 and throughout my long career I have constantly been exposed to various Smalltalk articles and genuflections.

Wow! Just look! Fucking EVERYTHING is an object! Holy shit can you believe the audacity of the developers?

Along with LISP, Smalltalk is just one of Holy Shrines That One Must Visit In Order To Complete One's Path As A Real Programmer.

I almost think "Ancient Religion" should be the right moniker...

View on HN

I started programming around 1972 or so, so we are likely of similar vintage. I think we tend to find what we seek. I have found much to learn from Smalltalk and Lisp in the fifty years since I first wrote FORTRAN programs on punch cards at UofT's High-Speed Job Stream, and while yes, there are various people whose enthusiasm and narrow focus rivals any religious cult...

Here's the thing. Some people will hate a thing so much they'll accuse you of professional misconduct for using it. Seriously, you can find people who say, in writing, that programming without static type-checking is professional misconduct.

Should that stop us from using JavaScript, Clojure, Ruby, Python, &c.?

No. Although hey, at least read their arguments with an open mind and decide for yourself.

On the other side, there will be people who love a thing so much that they can't imagine using anything else. We may not love it as much as they do, but should that stop us from using that thing if we like?

Also no.

Bottom line: Why judge a thing by what the most extreme opinions about the thing are, or how extreme those opinions are? Judge by its utility for you.

> Because you cannot simply call it a programming language that's for sure.

    Programming language +
    windows, icons, menus, pointer +
    editor +
    source debugger +
    source libraries (including compiler, wimp, editor, debugger) +
    graphics libraries

Back when each of those cost extra, Smalltalk/V 286 was an affordable development tool ;-)

March 7, 1988 — "Smalltalk/V 286 is available now and costs $199.95, the company said. Registered users of Digitalk's Smalltalk/V can upgrade for $75 until June 1."

https://books.google.com/books?id=CD8EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA25&ots=...

>I started programming in 1979 and throughout my long career I have constantly been exposed to various Smalltalk articles and genuflections.

With that experience, what do you think of the state and directions of the computer industry today?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com