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] 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]> > To: Edward Cherlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: sugar@lists.laptop.org > 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.linkedin.com/in/cherlin > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Sugar mailing list > > > Sugar@lists.laptop.org <mailto:Sugar@lists.laptop.org> > > > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar > > > > > > > > > -- > > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Sugar mailing list > > Sugar@lists.laptop.org <mailto:Sugar@lists.laptop.org> > > 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 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 Sugar@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar