[IAEP] Sugar Labs - Good starting position.

[Greg Dekoenigsberg]

On Mon, 4 Aug 2008, David Farning wrote:

> I would like to apologize for my absence over the last weeks.  I have 
> been trying to determine if Sugar is a viable project and if Sugar Labs 
> is a viable organization.
>
> For the weeks prior to my break, I have been working on community 
> outreach.  Community outreach has meant contacting grassroots 
> organizations with an interest in technology and education.  After 
> establishing contact, I start a discussion about about how establishing 
> a relationship between Sugar Labs and their organization can be 
> beneficial to both of us.
>
> On the plus side:
>
> 1.  We have a working piece of software.  We are lucky enough that OLPC 
> funded us long enough to create a functional system.  The vast majority 
> of projects fail in the pre-alpha stage.
>
> 2.  We have a core group of experienced developers.  Over the past 
> several years OLPC has attracted a number of professional developers and 
> helpful community members to participate in the project.
>
> 3.  There is a large public demand of our product.  OLPC has proven that 
> on a large scale through their deployments.  At a more local, there are 
> thousands or individuals who are interested in improving their local 
> school system.
>
> 4.  Sugar Labs has a functional infrastructure on which we can build.
>
> On the negative side:
>
> 1.  Lack of commitment.  The main reason organizations have stated for 
> not becoming involved in Sugar Labs is our lack of commitment.  There is 
> a significant fear that OLPC will withdraw their support.

That's not the sense I get here at 1CC.  Can you tell me where this fear 
comes from?

> 2.  Lack of vision.  The second reason organizations hesitate to become
> involved with Sugar Labs is our lack of vision.  There is a perception
> that Sugar development has stalled.

I agree that it's vital to get people who love Sugar together to 
articulate a strong vision.  My take on that vision: making Sugar the 
archetypal interface for "sharing by default".

> Moving forward:
>
> 1.  Diversify our base of stakeholders.  Currently, we have only two 
> public stakeholders: OLPC and Redhat.  This number should be greater.

Success is what brings more shareholders.

> 2.  Balance support and development resources.  The single biggest issue 
> that we face is how to balance our resources between supporting existing 
> deployments and pushing development forward.
>
> My conclusions:
>
> 1. OLPC, Sugar, and Sugar Labs are worth pushing forward.  While not the
> greatest thing since sliced bread,  OLPC and Sugar represent
> technologies which can enhance learning for current and future
> generations.
>
> It's a Learning Projects.

:)

--g