Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today • Hacker News Board

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#541

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 2:55 PM UTC

noobermin wrote: post #48

It seems that dynamic or at least sloppily typed langauges like javascript and python have become more and more popular. Do you think typeless/dynamic languages are the future? I personally really like "classless OOP[0]". [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGEjv3Tqo0&t=6m

It would be great to have a notion of type that would actually pay for itself in real clarity. For example, what would be really useful in many dimensions is "semantic types" rather than value oriented types (which I don't think are particularly valuable enough).

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#542

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 2:56 PM UTC

huherto wrote: post #63

A piece of advice for software engineers on the mid of the careers ? How do you find challenges and leverage their experience ?

I don't know -- I'm not a software engineer -- but I think this is a very tough profession to do well.

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#543

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 2:57 PM UTC

michaelscott wrote: post #522

alankay1 wrote: post #473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a worthy goal, and I think quite possible. Note that Biology requires a lot of organization in order to do this, so it is likely not to be straightforward from where we are. But we had to make the Internet -- etc. -- self-healing in many respects (we had to go to dynamic stabilities rather than trying to make perfect machines ...)

Do you think that genetic programming and machine learning are effective avenues to pursue regarding this? Or is that introducing unnecessary complexity in many/most cases?

I think "real AI" could help (because it could also explain as well as configure). Systems that can't explain themselves (and most can't) are a very bad idea.

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#544

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 2:58 PM UTC

sandgraham wrote: post #127

Hello Mr. Kay, Are you still going to be active with VRI or CDG now that HARC! has formed? PS: I once ran into you in Westwood and you invited me to check out the CDG lab. Unfortunately I missed you when I came by. I'm always tempted to try again, but I'd hate to interrupt the serious thinking of the fellows stationed up there.

CDG has morphed into HARC, etc. And I do plan to be active.

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#545

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 3:00 PM UTC

josephhurtado wrote: post #131

Alan, What do you think will be the impact of Cognitive Computing, and AI on the way software will be built in the next 5 years. Do you think AI may automate fully some jobs, or part of the jobs people do today in IT & Software Development? If so what do you think is the best approach professionals should take? Thanks in advance for the answer, and thanks for doing this AMA. Joseph

I think there is a lot of potential here (think 10 years and you might get something useful in the first 5). This will require great will on the part of those trying to make it happen (the market is not demanding something great -- and neither are academia or most funders).

"The softer an area, the tougher you have to be"

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#546

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 3:03 PM UTC

Dangeranger wrote: post #208

Hello Alan, Something that I find striking about you and your work is your cross discipline approach to hardware, software, and "humanware". Can you speak about people and subjects which have inspired you from fields other than computer science and how they have changed you as a person and technologist.

I grew up in a house filled with books and parents and relatives who were in many fields. This ruined me for school (and that helped, though it was a struggle).

Here is a "personal essay" I was asked to write in 2004: http://www.vpri.org/pdf/m2004002_center.pdf

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#547

Post by fogus » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 3:03 PM UTC

I can think of no better person to ask than Alan Kay:

What are the best books relevant to programming that have nothing to do with programming? (e.g. How Buildings Learn, Living Systems, etc.)?

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#548

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 3:06 PM UTC

ehudla wrote: post #105

What are your thoughts on work/life balance in the computing industry? On growing older in our industry?

Try to avoid "growing old"!

A big problem with the general industry is the lack of subsidized "sabbatical years" -- these are a good way to recharge and re-orient. Xerox, amazingly, used to have them for employees. But I haven't heard of any such thing recently.

If you think about life as needing "renewables" then you shouldn't allow yourself to be "stripmined" (easier said than done).

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#549

Post by alankay1 » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 3:06 PM UTC

wslh wrote: post #237

Hi Alan, are you envisioning a way to participate/connect-to YC Research as an independent researcher? I don't mean as an associate since many of us have the daily focus in startups but as a place where our ideas and code would be better nurtured.

Sure.

Re: Alan Kay has agreed to do an AMA today

#550

Post by mdahlstrand » Tue, Jun 21, 2016, 3:09 PM UTC

lispython wrote: post #498

Hi Alan, I'm an editor at Programmer Magazine in China[1], could you allow me to translate your answers into Chinese, and share with readers in China? [1] http://programmer.com.cn/

I think that's a yes