RE: The Weekly Pheromone VII I9 (try 2)

[glen e. p. ropella]

Peter Liang writes:
 > I still don't understand why we cannot implement the kernel for Swarm in 
 > Java as well?

Well, even if we totally ignore the technical issues,
we can come to a very quick conclusion on this front.
None of us (me, Chris, Roger, or Doug) have the time
to rewrite the kernel in Java.  And I could easily 
posit that Roger is the only person with the expertise
to rewrite it efficiently (never mind quickly [grin]).

Now, don't take this to mean that the technical arguments
are not sufficient enough to preclude a Java kernel...
They are.  But, I think the argument has been made, by 
Nelson and Roger.  You can see those arguments in the 
archives for the mailing list: 

http://www.santafe.edu/projects/swarm/mailing-lists.html

But, the real answer is for you to go ahead and do it!!!  There's
already one company that is going to write a "swarmlike" 
simulator in Java: Platinum Technologies.  (At least that's
the rumour.)  But, I doubt that theirs will be fed back into
the public domain.  If you rewrite the kernel in Java, then
we would certainly appreciate it if you contributed it back
so that we can use it!

glen
-- 
{glen e. p. ropella <address@hidden> |  Send lawyers, guns, and money!  }
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