[beaconstudios]

For those who are unaware, this was headed by Alan Kay and was researching various concepts in human-computer interaction, including ideas about the future of coding (http://www.vpri.org/work/ifnct.htm).

It's a real shame to see them close up shop, we need that kind of research to continue.

[david927]

I know of a 10 room mansion in Tuscany, Italy that could house a group of future of coding researchers for a year, starting in September. It would work out to €500/month for room and board.

But would anyone be up for it?

[toomim]

I'm interested, and building something like that in Hawaii.

[cw]

I support this idea in Hawaii. Some of us are already planted on Oahu.

[david927]

You’re currently building something like this in Hawaii? Let’s talk! My email is in my profile.

[DaiPlusPlus]

> It would work out to €500/month for room and board

€500/mo with food per month? That's suspiciously affordable. What's the catch?

(My Red Bull addiction is currently costing me ~$300/mo alone right now, seriously)

[quickthrower2]

That says more about Red Bull than renting a room outside of a major metro area in a cheap country.

[dreamcompiler]

Compared with other popular European countries, Italy is cheap. But I don't know if it's that cheap.

[david927]

The room is €200; €300 was back-of-the-napkin for general meals and it could be low, but when you buy in bulk it can be quite inexpensive and Italy is definitely cheap.

[DaiPlusPlus]

To me, the cost of buying cooking ingredients isn’t a concern in the slightest - but I don’t enjoy cooking. I’d hire a full-time live-in chef if I could afford it. But I can’t, so I mostly live-off Soylent.

[DaiPlusPlus]

I honestly have no idea why my above reply has been downvoted to -4 for simply describing my habits...

[bulka]

I don't think the physical colocation is the key here.

[david927]

It’s not the key but it’s a key.

If you want to talk about the key, that’s a much bigger discussion. Personally I always thought Alan (with all due respect to obviously one of the greatest luminaries of our time) had it wrong. Point of view is not worth 80 IQ points. First, that smacks of a time when we used to conflate IQ with intelligence and honestly think someone with 150 was 5 smarter than someone with 145. No, intelligence and knowledge just get you to the table. Point of view is why you’re there.

It’s like saying Picasso’s style gave him points towards his technique. Having a good line allowed him to express his style.

So what’s the key? Insight. And while that’s much harder to understand and evaluate, that’s the ticket.

[_1tan]

here

[koo6]

you pay or they pay?

[david927]

Well, they pay. There's no IP transfer here; you own your own IP.

That said, I'm hoping that, via donations, there will be spots for those that can't pay anything at all. But that's a lot of speculation for something that is still very much up in the air.

[ironchief]

Every org that hired Alan Kay as a fellow was closed

- Apple Advanced Technology Group

- Walt Disney Imagineering Fellows

- HP Advanced Software Research

- VPRI

[_0ffh]

And all the most interesting stuff I know from the VPRI is from Ian Piamurta. His coffeinated beverages series of interpreters is very cool.

https://piumarta.com/