Self sustaining systems

More about the book

The Workshop on Self-sustaining Systems (S3) serves as a platform for discussing computer systems and languages capable of self-bootstrapping, implementing, modifying, and maintaining themselves. These systems rely on small yet powerful abstractions, with examples including Squeak/Smalltalk, COLA, Klein/Self, PyPy/Python, Rubinius/Ruby, and Lisp. They act as engines for their own replacement, empowering researchers and developers to experiment and explore future directions from their own language kernels. Held on May 15–16, 2008, at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute (HPI) in Potsdam, Germany, S3 offered an exciting venue for those interested in self-sustaining systems to meet, share knowledge, and discuss future research and development. The workshop facilitated discussions on the necessity of self-sustainability in software systems, exploring the reasons for their need and methods for creation and deployment. Participants drew analogies to evolutionary cycles and urban design, highlighting the impact of socially-driven change. Attendees left with a stronger sense of community and enthusiasm for delving deeper into this topic. The growing importance of self-sustaining systems is recognized not just within the developer community, but also among users in business, academia, and education, suggesting that S3 could be the first of many such workshops.