Hi Alan, what do you think of the Unison project? [1]
On the surface it's a structured editor for a type safe language in which it's impossible to write an invalid program, but the author has some pretty lofty goals for it.
Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
261–270 of 931 posts
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#262How can I get my thinking out of the/my box?
Pay a lot of attention to realizing you (and all of us) are in "boxes". This means what we think of as "reality" are just our beliefs" and that "the present" is just a particular construction. The future need have no necessary connection to this present once you realize it is just one of many possible presents it could have been. This will allow you to make much more use of the past (you can now look at things that d…
OK I'll continue to get my history straight :)
Thank you, Alan!
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#263Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I'm not a big Unix fan What is your preferred technology stack?
What's a good non-UNIX open-source operating system that's useful for day-to-day work, or at least academically significant enough that it's worth diving in to?
Here's a list of alternatives I put together to see some capabilities or traits UNIX lacked:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10957020
I think, usable day-to-day, I'd say you're down to Haiku, MorphOS, Genode, MINIX 3, and/or A2 Bluebottle. Haiku is a BeOS clone. MorphOS is one of last Amiga's that looks pretty awesome. Genode OS is a security-oriented, microkernel architecture that's using UNIX for bootstrapping but doesn't inherently need it. MINIX 3 similarly bootstrapping on NetBSD but adds microkernels, user-mode drivers, and self-healing functions. A2 Bluebottle is most featured version of Oberon OS in safe, GC'd language. Runs fast.
The usability of these and third party software available vary considerably. One recommendation I have across the board is to back up your data with a boot disc onto external media. Do that often. Reason being, any project with few developers + few users + bare metal is going to have issues to resolve that long-term projects will have already knocked out.
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#264I have two questions:
1. It is known that you read a lot. Do you plan to write a book? You have been a big inspiration for me and I would love to read a book from you.
2. What is your opinion about Self programming language (http://www.selflanguage.org)? I've read „STEPS Toward The Reinvention of Programming“ pdf and this feels related, especially to with the Klein interpreter (http://kleinvm.sourceforge.net/).
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#265I admire the compactness and power of Smalltalk. What advice would you give language designers looking to keep the cognitive load of a new language low? What was your design process like, and would you do it that way again?
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#266Hi Alan, how do you keep up with technology/news? Do you subscribe to any newsletters? Visit HN regularly?
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#267Hi Alan,
I'm a CS PhD student at Caltech. What advice do you have for young computer scientists, especially for PhD students?
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#268I have two questions: 1. It is known that you read a lot. Do you plan to write a book? You have been a big inspiration for me and I would love to read a book from you. 2. What is your opinion about Self programming language ( http://www.selflanguage.org )? I've read „STEPS Toward The Reinvention of Programming“ pdf and this feels related, especially to with the Klein interpreter ( http://kleinvm.sourceforge.net/ ).
I liked Self. "Good OOP" is still waiting for a much better notion to replace the idea of a "Class"
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#269What do you do to keep focus during the day?
Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today
#270Is there any site that lists all arguments from all sides and reach a conclusion? If they don't reach a conclusion, do they have an issue tracking system and leave the issue open for anyone to find easily and respond?
Debates should have a programming language, have CI for new arguments, have unit tests to check logic, have issues tracked and collaborated on GitHub.