One thing we have been lagging behind on is documentation for developers: APIs, etc. Eben has done a nice job on the UI guidelines, but there more help we can and should provide to those who want to dig into the code itself--something we are encouraging the children and teachers to do.
-walter On 8/1/07, Eben Eliason <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > We're not ignorant of the need for some amount of explanation about various > aspects of the UI and also some activities. For the most part, we do feel > that the interfaces will offer an immediately usable or at least quickly > discoverable experience for most, and this has been true in some early > trials with much earlier (and buggier) versions of the software. > Nonetheless, we wouldn't presume that it will be "obvious" to all. For that > matter, some of the advanced functionality that provides the high ceiling in > our "low floor, high ceiling" model may actually be less discoverable in > favor of a simpler up front experience, and in those cases documentation can > be a valuable thing. > > In any event, this project is about both education and community. These two > items should re-factor the way we think about help. Yes, we'll provide some > basic documentation; yes, activity developers will do the same. But in the > long run, it's much more consistent with our goals for the project to create > an ever growing community around the laptops and their activities, where > children, teachers, and developers alike can post tips, suggestions, formal > documentation, images, video, experiences, and tutorials about both software > and hardware. In this way, we can leverage the power of the communities and > the children themselves, who are eager to explore and learn, and can learn > how to help each other through the process. By handing out some > responsibility, the localization problem can be solved naturally. Having an > evolving system for help also makes a lot of sense when the software is both > young and continually changing. > > > We're not neglecting help on principle; we're adjusting our view of the help > model in light of the project's mission and goals. > > - Eben > > > On 8/1/07, Ryan Pavlik <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I am not coming up with these ideas, just relaying them. If you wish > > for comment by the entire community, including those who know more about > > it than me, use the "Reply to All" feature of your mail client rather > > than sending private replies - I am rather unqualified to answer most of > > your questions. > > > > Ryan > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Dear Ryan, > > > > > > I don't doubt the solid pedagogical underpinnings of the OLPC, and > > > fully endorse the principles. As the 25th employee at Xerox PARC I > > > have more than a passing interest in user interfaces, and I applaud > > > Sugar's innovative approach (and talk about it in many of my > > > presentations). That said, my experience using technology with kids > > > since the 1970's has revealed different levels of "obviousness," and > > > this is reflected in the many spirited discussions on this list. > > > Pardon me if it appears that the idea of "obviating the need for > > > documentation" is slightly hubristic. There will be some (especially > > > among the adult decision-making community) who will benefit from some > > > documentation. Are you suggesting that (for example) eToys needs no > > > documentation? If so how do you explain that the first Smalltalk > > > documentation consisted of TWO hardbound books published by > > > Addison-Welsey. > > > > > > I am a huge fan of having kids jump into the deep end of new > > > projects. I also have found that helpful resources are quite valuable. > > > > > > Warm regards, > > > > > > David Thornburg, PhD > > > Director, Global Operations > > > Thornburg Center > > > Chicago, USA | Recife, Brasil > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Ryan Pavlik <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Sugar Mailing List < [email protected]> > > > Sent: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:57 pm > > > Subject: Re: [sugar] Docs? > > > > > > By self-documenting I mean that the interface obviates the need for > > > documentation, not that it produces written documentation. You might > > > be interested to look at http://wiki.laptop.org - it is as much > > > (more!) an education project as a laptop project, and the educational > > > theory behind the decision decisions is pretty interesting. > > > > > > Ryan > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > If the OLPC is self-documenting, who is handling this, how much > > > memory > does it take, and what does the interface look like? It seems > > > that > this would have come up in conversations by now. > > > > > > > > Just asking. > > > > > > > > David Thornburg > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Ryan Pavlik <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > > > To: Edward Cherlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > > > > Cc: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > > Sent: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 7:35 pm > > > > Subject: Re: [sugar] Docs? > > > > > > > > I am certainly not an OLPC rep, but what I have seen suggests that > > > the > > > > > intent is for the machines to be self-instructing and not requiring > > > > > documentation. In addition to the massive translation demands that > > > > > would require, it also does not coincide with the educational > > > > > theories/practices that the organization is pursuing. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Of course, if you want to make developer documentation, then I think > > > > > anyone's answer would be, dive in! :) Just ask which regions are > > > stable > > > > > first so your work doesn't get obsoleted quickly. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ryan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Edward Cherlin wrote: > > > > > > > > > Is there any plan for official software documentation? I have been > > > a > > > > > > Senior Tech Writer for the last 10 years and would be delighted to > > > > > > work on it (particularly if someone like Red Hat would support me > > > to > > > > > > do it 60 hours a week *<{%-{]}}} <--Goggle-eyed geek in clown hat, > > > > > > moustache, and full beard). Actually, I have been writing about XO > > > > > > software off and on ever since the Dynabook days, when Xerox > > > licensed > > > > > > Smalltalk to Apple, HP, and others in 1981, during my market > > > research > > > > > > period. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For example, I wrote in a study of so-called educational software > > > back > > > > > > then that the overpriced drill-and-practice programs of the time > > > > > > weren't real educational software, and that what children need is > > > > > > sharp tools to do stuff with. Commercial educational software is > > > still > > > > > > a vast wasteland, with a few honorable exceptions. Then I did a > > > study > > > > > > on Personal Instruments (data acquisition and analysis on PCs), and > > > > > > > some other reports that touched on education. Besides starting and > > > > > > managing a software project for math for schools. And a few other > > > things. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have a button that says, "Stop me before I volunteer again," but > > > it > > > > > > doesn't help. [sigh] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Edward Cherlin > > > > > > > > > Earth Treasury: End Poverty at a Profit > > > > > > > > > http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Earth_Treasury > > > > > > > > > WIRE AFRICA http//www.wireafrica.org/ < http://www.wireafrica.org/> > > > <http://www.wireafrica.org/> > > > > > > > > > http://www.linkedin.com/in/cherlin > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > Sugar mailing list > > > > > > > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected] > > > > <mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > > > > > > > > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Ryan Pavlik > > > > > > > > AbiWord Win32 Platform Maintainer, Art Lead: www.abisource.com > > > <http://www.abisource.com> <http://www.abisource.com> > > > > > > > > AbiWord Community Outreach Project: > > > www.cleardefinition.com/oss/abi/blog/ > > > <http://www.cleardefinition.com /oss/abi/blog/> > > > <http://www.cleardefinition.com/oss/abi/blog/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "Optimism is the father that leads to achievement." > > > > > > > > -- Helen Keller > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "The folder structure in a modern Linux distribution such as Ubuntu > > > > > > > > was largely inspired by the original UNIX foundations that were > > > > > > > > created by men with large beards and sensible jumpers." > > > > > > > > -- Jono Bacon, The Ubuntu Guide > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________ _________________ > > > > > > > > Sugar mailing list > > > > > > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected] > > > > <mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> > > > > > > > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's > > > free > from AOL at *AOL.com* > > > <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000437>. > > > > > > -- Ryan Pavlik > > > AbiWord Win32 Platform Maintainer, Art Lead: www.abisource.com > > > <http://www.abisource.com> > > > AbiWord Community Outreach Project: > > > www.cleardefinition.com/oss/abi/blog/ > > > <http://www.cleardefinition.com/oss/abi/blog/> > > > > > > "Optimism is the father that leads to achievement." > > > -- Helen Keller > > > > > > "The folder structure in a modern Linux distribution such as Ubuntu > > > was largely inspired by the original UNIX foundations that were > > > created by men with large beards and sensible jumpers." > > > -- Jono Bacon, The Ubuntu Guide > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free > > > from AOL at * AOL.com* <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000437>. > > > > > > -- > > Ryan Pavlik > > AbiWord Win32 Platform Maintainer, Art Lead: www.abisource.com > > AbiWord Community Outreach Project: www.cleardefinition.com/oss/abi/blog/ > > > > "Optimism is the father that leads to achievement." > > -- Helen Keller > > > > "The folder structure in a modern Linux distribution such as Ubuntu > > was largely inspired by the original UNIX foundations that were > > created by men with large beards and sensible jumpers." > > -- Jono Bacon, The Ubuntu Guide > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Sugar mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sugar mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar > > -- Walter Bender One Laptop per Child http://laptop.org _______________________________________________ Sugar mailing list [email protected] http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar
