This chapter briefly summarizes the evolution of the Athena computing environment during the first five years of the Project. The goals are identified and conflicts described. Some measurements of progress towards these goals are specified. As the Project heavily involves people as well as machines a brief commentary on some ofthe subcultures which comprise the overall MIT culture gives the sense of t he constraints and incentives we have experienced. The process of Software development is abstracted and explored within the context ofAthena. Cliaracteristics ofmodelsfor development are described including cost as compared to effectiveness against the backdrop of a moving computational platform. Some observations and reflections on our experiences in this Project to date are offered. Finally, our objectives for the extension of Project Athena are expressed.