Hi--
I think better browsers are the answer for newcomer puzzlements about the location of >>new, etc. For a selected class, show *all* the methods to which an instance of that class can respond, not just the ones defined by the class. Use list item text emphasis to distinguish local selectors from inherited ones. Implement selector menu items like "browse defining class", etc. There are lots of ways the current browsers could make better use of their real estate, yet appear simpler.
I think "the prime anomaly" feels much less anomalous with suitably expressive tools. I also think there could be better metalevel diagrams than the ones in the blue/purple books. I took a stab at one a while ago, at http://www.netjam.org/hacks/objectMetaphysics.
-C
-- Craig Latta composer and computer scientist craig.latta@netjam.org www.netjam.org latta@interval.com Smalltalkers do: [:it | All with: Class, (And love: it)]