[Its.an.education.project] Fwd: [Community-news] OLPC News (2008-05-04), Tech Team

[Edward Cherlin]

FYI. I notice she didn't answer my question about a Doc Lead.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kim Quirk <kim at laptop.org>
Date: Mon, May 5, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Community-news] OLPC News (2008-05-04), Tech Team
To: Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com>
Cc: Sharon Lally <sharon at laptop.org>


Ed,
Thank you for all your contributions, documentation, ideas, comments,
and help with deployments and translations. You have made numerous
references to applying for jobs here, so I would like to address that.

 A number of people have reviewed your resume, your work, your
postings and we don't believe there is a good fit at OLPC.

Kim





On Mon, May 5, 2008 at 12:04 AM, Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 10:16 AM, Kim Quirk <kim at laptop.org> wrote:
> > A note from the editor:
> >
> > I have been reading the discussions this past week on the mission and
> > direction of OLPC and OLPC's outreach to the community. I'd like to
> > reiterate that we at OLPC are committed to create Sugar as an open source
> > project, as it provides a great opportunity for both learners and for
> > contributors. Sugar in combination with the XO hardware extends this
> > opportunity even further through the mesh, power management, and robustness
> > features of the hardware required for many of the environments where we want
> > to provide help.  We have sold or given away hundreds of thousands of
> > laptops running Sugar on GNU/Linux on the XO. We plan to continue to do
> > that.
>
> Thanks for saying so plainly.
>
> There are a few residual questions about these matters, having to do
> with Nicholas Negroponte's remarks about Windows-only XOs, and Sugar
> on Windows as a Trojan Horse. We understand that having XOs that only
> run Windows does not mean abandoning Linux on XOs.
>
>
> > This year's Tech Team budget allows us to almost double our personnel
> > in development, test, and support. We are very excited about being able to
> > hire at this level over the next few months.
>
> How about a Doc lead and some full-time professional writers and trainers?
>
> BTW, who is handling the work that Walter Bender used to do on
> keyboard layouts, IMEs, and country configurations? There is a rumor
> that somebody is needed for this.
>
>
> > OLPC has had an amazing amount of contributions from volunteers in the
> > community in all areas including development, test, support, translations,
> > documentation, marketing/messaging, and even business expertise. We truly
> > value these contributions. What we haven't done well (at least recently) is
> > to support people who are trying to help us.
>
> Exactly.
>
>
> > We need to fix our
> > communications with volunteers and community groups. We need to be open and
> > transparent without compromising the confidentiality of others that we might
> > do business with. This is difficult but it is not rocket science.
>
> I find it more difficult to keep secrets than to communicate openly,
> but maybe that's just me.
>
>
> >  I think we
> > can do it. Sometimes when everyone is overworked, it is much easier to focus
> > on the details of the day than to see the bigger problems.
>
> It would be possible to offload some of that overwork onto volunteers,
> if you asked.
>
>
> > I intend to make
> > some specific recommendations towards better communications in the next few
> > weeks. Your comments, thoughts, and ideas are welcome.
>
> I have no problem about OLPC management and staff keeping details of
> ongoing negotiations with countries and other possible program
> participants confidential. I am concerned about the case in which a
> possible buyer has made its interest publicly known, and the community
> would like to help plan with localization, teacher training, and other
> matters that require coordination and outside support. I don't know of
> a good reason to keep that part of it secret. I would also like to
> encourage countries and states to make their interest publicly known
> as early in the process as possible, so that the community can make
> preparations to support the languages and cultures needed, help with
> educating stakeholders, and so on.
>
> For example, rumor has it that 19 US states are in discussions with
> OLPC. I am aware of discussions with Maine (which uses Apple laptops),
> Massachusetts under former Governor Mitt Romney, and Illinois HB5000,
> The Children's Low-Cost Laptop Act. Are there 16 other states that
> don't want public input on their inquiries? If so, somebody should say
> so. But if any other states are willing to have public comment and
> public assistance, then the community wants to be able to work with
> the states and with OLPC on the necessary preparations. There was also
> some talk of finding (apparently) established partners to deal with
> states. The volunteers can be called on to create whatever partner
> support is needed.
>
> There are other matters that the community would like to discuss with
> management and staff on a regular basis. Some of them are laid out in
> the Wiki, on the Controversies page. We would prefer not to have these
> be controversies. It appears that some of the controversies are due to
> Nicholas Negroponte speaking in a manner which is easy to
> misunderstand, and failing to clarify the matter when asked.
>
>
> > - Kim Quirk
> > Dir of Tech Team

-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay