[IAEP] IAEP Digest, Vol 21, Issue 26

[Aleksey Lim]

On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 10:02:13AM -0800, Caryl Bigenho wrote:
> 
> Hi Everyone....
> 
> A couple of things:
> 
> Re: Future of Zero Sugar
> [snip]
> > I think I've found proper way - instead of decentralising technical
> > aspects in core development, decentralise method of sharing changes
> > between users/doers - here Zero Install[1] integration[2] - integration
> > not to shell UI or other technical aspects but to sugar community.
> 
> For us not-quite-so-techie folks, what is a Zero Install?

Detailed info about 0install features you can find here
http://0install.net/

In short terms, in regular GNU/Linux behaviour, 
There is only one blessed way to install software - using packaging
system that your distribution provides(in case of XO it's a fedoras'
rpm/yum system). This is convenient and secure way(and using 0install we
don't loose these features because we still can install software from
native packaging system via 0install). Zero Install brings addition
feature - install(and build) software which is not packaged to native
system. It could be software which is specific only to particular
activity or libraries like olpcgames.

Well, thats all about technical benefits. But as a consequence of technical
benefits, users will have benefits as well. For example, OLPC has
several years(afaik) deployment cycle, but there could be recent
improvements in sugar UI like new toolbar design, using regular software
upgrading way(via native packages) there is no chances to bring such
features to regular OLPC users(of course there is a chance anyway -
activity developer can bundle new toolbars to .xo but I think it's the
worst way). With Zero Install, activity developer can include "New
toolbar" dependency to his activity(and let other developers support
this dependency), for users all process of installation of new dependency
will be just addition progress window while first activity startup.


> Re: sounds in Speak
> 
> [snip]
> > > This afternoon, I had an interesting conversation with a Montessori    > > teacher, about Speak. She asked me why Speak says "a" when "a" is > >pressed and not the *sound* of the letter "a". Montessori teachers     > >teach the shape and sound of letters first, and then the name of the   > >alphabet. I did not have an answer for her, but I wondered if it would  > >be possible to have an option in Speak to do so.
> 
> Montessori is a special case and maybe a special Phonics Activity for
> them would be a good idea.  Other teachers might want to try it as
> well. 
> 
> 
> 
> About the correct pronunciation of "a," I have noticed that in my
> speech and that of others,  the sound of the a seems to vary with the
> sentence and how it is used and sometimes even how I feel!   

thats cool, just wait for some time and all bugs will be fixed by
their own :)

-- 
Aleksey