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Smalltalk Digest: September Edition

Posted on by Author Jeremy Jordan in Categories Cincom Smalltalk Digest Newsletter Archive, Smalltalk

Smalltalk DigestWelcome to the September 2019 edition of the Cincom Smalltalk™ Digest.  In this valuable edition, we will talk about the following:

CUSTOMERS and PARTNERS

  • Cincom Putting Smalltalk on the Table
  • How Can Cincom Better Communicate with the Cincom Smalltalk Community and You?

NEWBIES, FREELANCERS and DEVELOPERS

  • Where Did the Cincom Smalltalk Product Team Share Smalltalk?
  • Why Should You Attend Smalltalks 2019?
  • What Other Networking Opportunities Are Coming Up?
  • What Is the Easiest Way to Become a Cincom Smalltalk Customer?
  • FAQ of the Month: How Do I Install Cincom Smalltalk on Linux?
  • Popular Product Resources

ACADEMIA

  • Who Should Use the Academic Personal Use License Version of Cincom Smalltalk?
  • What Is the Cincom Smalltalk Academic Internship Program?
  • Student Project Creates an Adaptable and Flexible Smalltalk Programming Environment for the Visually Impaired

Snippets for these articles can be found below:

CUSTOMERS and PARTNERS

Cincom Putting Smalltalk on the Table

Throughout the summer, we shared the history of Smalltalk and how it came to Cincom. All of this was because we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Cincom Smalltalk here at Cincom. Although our beloved object-oriented programming language has been around since before 1970, it wasn’t until Tom Nies got his hands on ObjectStudio in 1995 and acquired VisualWorks in late 1999, that they were brought together under the umbrella of Cincom Smalltalk.

You can read more about the early years of Smalltalk and the dramatic origin of ObjectStudio in previous months’ editions of the Cincom Smalltalk Digest. 
 
As a quick reference, here are some links to the previous sections of this story:

Recently, Suzanne Fortman, the Program Director and Engineering Manager of Cincom Smalltalk, shared some thoughts about the 20th Anniversary of Cincom Smalltalk and talked about the day when Tom Nies added Smalltalk to the “table” with the other successful products at Cincom. 

  • Watch that video here.  

How Can Cincom Better Communicate with the Cincom Smalltalk Community and You?

In a recent Cincom Smalltalk Digest article, we mentioned how comments from strangers, tire kickers, curious onlookers and fresh eyes at recent conferences and meetups have changed the thinking of the Cincom Smalltalk Product Team regarding how we can improve our communication to attract and secure new users and build out our Customer Success programs with existing customers and partners. The sessions, meetups and events we attend are very important to us for attracting strangers to Smalltalk and growing the Smalltalk community.  

However, just because we are putting a focus on improving the communication to those who are strangers to Cincom Smalltalk, it doesn’t mean we are forgetting our valuable customers and partners.  We are currently working to improve all areas of our communication and want to make sure you, and others at your organization, are aware of all the mediums that are available so we can continuing helping our customers be successful.  After all, your success is our success.

For your reference, we want to provide a rundown of the various ways we currently communicate, as well as some of the resources we have available for you.

NEWBIES, FREELANCERS and DEVELOPERS

Where Did the Cincom Smalltalk Product Team Share Smalltalk?

The Cincom Smalltalk Product Team has the unique privilege of working with all aspects of the Smalltalk product line globally, while being actively engaged in customer, partner and user relationships. This includes frequent users who have used Cincom Smalltalk for years, as well as new users who come in looking for a new option for their application development needs.

These sessions, meetups and events are very important for us to attract strangers to Smalltalk and grow the Smalltalk community.  As Suzanne Fortman has said many times, we cannot grow if we keep talking to the same people. 

Arden Thomas, the Cincom Smalltalk Product Manager, and Suzanne Fortman recently gave a “taste” of Cincom Smalltalk to attendees at a recent user group meetup.  To find out which meetup, click here.

Why Should You Attend Smalltalks 2019?

Want to learn more about Smalltalk-based technologies, research and industry applications?  Are you looking for a forum to share your stories and expertise on different Smalltalk-inspired languages, frameworks and methodologies?

If the answer to either of these questions is “yes,” you should definitely attend Smalltalks 2019.  This informative and interesting conference will take place in Neuquén, Argentina on November 13-15, with workshops planned at the same site on November 11-12.

  • For more details about Smalltalks 2019, click here.

What Other Networking Opportunities Are Coming Up?

There are still several upcoming events for the remainder of 2019 where you can meet with Smalltalkers and programmers from around the world.  These networking and learning opportunities include:

What Is the Easiest Way to Become a Cincom Smalltalk Customer?

For individuals who are looking to start a business but need a jumpstart, one exciting program we have to help you is the Cincom Smalltalk REV Program.  The REV program is an opportunity for YOU to take your idea to the next level and create your own business.

We created this program for you to partner with Cincom and receive all the benefits of being a customer. As a Cincom Smalltalk customer, you receive:

  • Access to the full product and all releases for 1-year/12-months
  • Full support for the product during the 1-year/12-months
  • An opportunity to join the Developer Program to get early beta releases of our product to see where we are taking it and comment to help us build out the future of commercial Smalltalk
  • An opportunity to join the Partner Promotion Program to promote your application, help you develop the right markets or find the smartest space to promote what you have been working on

Still not sure if the REV Program is right for your needs? 

  • Listen to Suzanne Fortman talk about how one person used the REV program to jumpstart his business here.
  • Read this article for additional details and instructions on how to begin your customer journey.

FAQ of the Month: How do I Install Cincom Smalltalk on Linux?

FAQ: Tips for Linux Linux Installation Tips

  • On Linux x86/x86_64 on Cincom® VisualWorks® 8.3 PUL, the VMs are not installed in a typical install. They can be installed by choosing them manually on a custom install.
  • Before installation with custom install, it should say “Components to Install.”
  • Scroll down to the bottom and select VM Linux ….x86.

Linux Font Tips

  • Installing the contributed XFT and XFT-integration parcels shipped with the product. Based on feedback, this is the best current solution for fonts on Linux.
  • The parcels can be found in the contributed directory.
  • You can load these parcels from the launcher menu: System -> Load Parcel named, then type in xft and select.  Use Ctrl select for multiple parcels.

For other frequently asked questions, visit our “How do I?” section here.

Popular Product Resources

Maybe you are new to Cincom Smalltalk or just need help finding something specific on our website. Here’s a quick guide to the popular resources we have available on our website:

ACADEMIA

Who Should Use the Academic Personal Use License Version of Cincom Smalltalk?

This time of year is when students of all ages typically begin the next year of their educations.  Whether it’s small children in elementary school or university students, the months of August and September are when the institutions of higher learning open their doors for eager students to begin the next chapter of their educations.

To learn about the Cincom Smalltalk Academic Personal Use License (APUL):

What Is the Cincom Smalltalk Academic Internship Program?

Another program we are highlighting this month is our internship program. Students who use our software in their classes make some pretty amazing applications for their student projects. These students have a completely different perspective of the Smalltalk programming environment and could provide valuable insight that could benefit enterprises in many ways. Because Cincom is the leading provider of commercial Smalltalk and we have many enterprise customers, we can offer this program as both a resource to the student, as well as another valuable benefit to our customers.

  • Learn more as Suzanne Fortman talks about that program here.

Student Project Creates an Adaptable and Flexible Smalltalk Programming Environment for the Visually Impaired

The Lazaro Project is a student-created Smalltalk application made to enable visually impaired university students at the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Buenos Aires to learn object-oriented programming under the same conditions and with the same experiences as their sighted classmates. This project was a great example of what students can do when they see a need and work together to address it.

  • Learn about this inspirational student-led project here.

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