Whither SmallScript? (was Re: Integer micro-benchmarks)

[Steve Holden]

"Courageous" <jkraska1 at san.rr.com> wrote in message
news:e77jetondditre9sp3v4apc832nosu1b9k at 4ax.com...
>
> >Ruby's popularity is growing internationally, slowly but steadily.  Dave
> >and I wrote an article on Ruby for the January (25th anniversary issue)
> >of Dr. Dobb's Journal, we've just had a stellar review on slashdot.org,
> >the community is growing in size and capability on a daily basis.
>
> You're posting to a _Python_ newsgroup. What's so special about
> Ruby? I've been the website before, and haven't been particularly
> impressed. The authors need to work on detailed documentation
> pretty badly, it seems.
>
He's actually also posting to the SmallTalk advocacy list and comp.object:
you're just *reading* it in c.l.py ... there's a difference.

Personally I found it quite interesting that SmallTalkers also see postings
advocating Ruby, and I know that some Pythonistas are quite interested in
it. Still seems a bit like someone sticking a microphone in your face on the
sidewalk and asking whether you'd liek to try a new brand of soap powder,
but hey, it's a free 'Net.

I looked at Ruby, briefly, and didn't really like the flavor as much as
Python. Unless I'm thinking of another language altogether the syntax is
warty, with a Perl-ish use of punctuation which might make programs shorter,
but doesn't help with comprehension.

Just my 2c.

regards
 Steve

[note I apparently don't get access to com.lang.smalltalk.advocacy]