REBOL Technologies

Time to Talk about REBOL's Future

Carl Sassenrath, CTO
REBOL Technologies
26-Aug-2012 3:33 GMT
Article #0510
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I've been quiet for a long while, and this blog is not easy for me to write.

I'm sitting here with a glass of 2010 Merlot from right out of the barrel... hoping to be inspired on how to write this. But it's difficult, and the 2010 and 2011 vintages aren't very inspiring either. They were troubled by cooler than usual summer temperatures. They lack body and character.

I find myself thinking back to when I began growing grapes and making wine, which seems like a long time ago, and it strikes me that I've been working on REBOL even longer. For more than a decade REBOL has been a labor of love. As a blend of theory, experimentation, and invention, the language embodies elegant and wonderful concepts and properties. It was and is the most productive language I've ever used. I hope your experience has been similar.

I still care a lot about REBOL and its future.

As you know, REBOL began as a commercial venture. But, times have changed, technology has changed, and economies have changed. The old model of how proprietary software products make money has been turned inside-out. And, it's even more difficult to make money in the computing language market. There are so many competitors, most of which are free, most of which are open, and many of which are quite well supported.

So, it's come time to consider the next stage in the future of the REBOL language. I'll tell you that I've not reached any final conclusions. I want to solicit your suggestions and ideas first.

I also need to tell you that I don't have much time to help out with whatever the REBOL future may be. I can help a little from time to time, but generally I'm very busy these days. Since the end of 2010 I've been working with an amazing company and a world class team building some really great products. I must admit that I'm quite addicted to it. I hope to say more in a future blog.

Anyway, I invite you to post your comments below, but here are some pointers to keep in mind:

  1. My time is very limited, so please make your postings relevant and on point. If your post gets to be long and drawn out, I'm probably not going to read beyond the first few lines.
  2. Keep in mind that REBOL is more than just a technology, it's also a community, and all of us have different interests or requirements. If you're a doctor using REBOL in the medical profession, your needs will be quite different from a university research scientist. That's fine. This is a brainstorming session.
  3. Let's keep this discussion within the REBOL community for now. I don't care much about what people who don't know REBOL say or want. They don't understand REBOL, and many never will. This is our thing, we should guide it where we want it to go.
  4. I cannot afford the time, energy, or heartbreak of looking backwards. Yes, REBOL has invented some very cool software technology. Much of it was years ahead of alternatives. But, what's done is done. That's the past; we cannot change it. I want to focus on the future.
  5. Please don't post negative or degrading comments. They will be removed.

If you know REBOLers who might be interested in this discussion, please let them know about this blog posting.

I look forward to hearing from you,

-Carl

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