[REBOL] Re: The future of Rebol - achieving critical mass
From: geoff:productivity at: 21-May-2001 22:50
Hi folks
Some very interesting comments from Scot::
> I see libraries and API's as an old paradigm, that tends to promote bloat,
and unwelcome
> divergence. So much can be done currently with REBOL's tremendous
capacity to quickly create
> high levels of abstractions. Maybe a better paradigm would be the
proliferation of dialects.
I only partially agree - APIs to data stores, functions for working with
.pdf files etc etc ... there is simply no substitute for a comprehensive
library. This is surely why Perl is so widely used, despite its many
failings. Provided Carl provides a decent library management mechanism
(Present in Perl, missing from PHP and, at present from Rebol) this need not
lead to bloat. After all, we are only talking server side here - it would
defeat the purpose to bloat the client side.
> The key is to make something everyone must have, and need REBOL to have
it.
> Rather than looking a languages and their proliferation, we should be
looking at companies, AOL,
> Oracle, Sun, Microsoft all companies that leveraged software to make
powerful companies.
This is an interesting perspective. Of course the key in each of these cases
is that they identified and met a real and present need (simplicity,
reliability, a usable platform for technical computing and standardisation
respectively, I would suggest).
But I can't think of any company that made serious $$ selling a language -
the big boys sell products that solve problems for their customers. The
problem at RI is that the language isn't really finished, and they have a
compelling need to generate income. I understand that. But in the longer
run, they will have to make their $$ out of selling solutions built in or
for Rebol, not out of Rebol itself.
If there is a wave coming for distibuted computing, Rebol is in a great
position to catch it. If not, the argument for Rebol won't be compelling
enough.
> The technology needs to stay in the hands of the person who understands
it, Carl.
I don't think that any sane person would dispute that - great languages are
created by personal vision, not by committees.
But resources are clearly thin at RI - I suspect that it will be touch and
go. For a very small player like myself, it is a question of balancing the
potential rewards with the risk of RI going down and taking me with it.
Thanks for the comments - very thought provoking
Geoff Caplan
