[Edu-sig] Rapunsel, Rapunsel

[Arthur]

> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: edu-sig-bounces at python.org 
> >[mailto:edu-sig-bounces at python.org] On Behalf Of Jonah Bossewitch
> >Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 1:45 AM
> >To: edu-sig at python.org
> >Subject: [Edu-sig] Rapunsel, Rapunsel
> >
> >Does this group know about this project?
> >
> >http://maryflanagan.com/rapunsel/index.htm

Or this project?

http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/llk/scratch/

> >
> >I saw Mary talk today and her work is quite impressive.  
> >It's still being researched... 

It is difficult - *for me* -  to understand what "researched" means in the
context a project whose goals are stated in the form of a Manifesto.

Give me an old fashioned unfunded manifesto, like Breton's

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/courses/Jbutler/T340/SurManifesto/ManifestoOfSurrealis
m.htm

>> wouldn't it be wonderful if 
> >they moved away from java and towards a more youthful, 
> >dynamic, vibrant, language...

When one abstracts "programming" as far from the particulars of any real
programming language as - I suspect - a project like Rapunsel does - then
implementation language does not seem to have much significance.  Isn't this
one of Pausch's lessons from Alice?

Much of the outcome of the research - it seems to me - depends on issues of
semantics.  What is programming - for example.  Which - BTW - is *not* a
discussion I am hoping to have here.   

Personally, I don't think Python *is* in the Alice, Scratch, Rapunsel space
or *belongs* in that space or is competitive in that space.

Which happens to be more than fine with me. 

Art