[sugar] Journal integration design for Measure Activity

[Bert Freudenberg]

On Oct 22, 2007, at 12:54 , Eben Eliason wrote:
> Indeed, there are edge cases.  Not every activity fits the model as
> well as the next.  Still, with the current system, there are some
> instances where the above activities could be resumed to good effect.
> For instance, the calculator keeps an equation history.  It's possible
> that those results would be useful to review again later.  It could
> even be the homework.  You know the "show your work" idea that we've
> been fed countless times?  Well, if you just turn in your "calculator
> session" then it's all right there.  As for games, Perhaps you and I
> started a game of connect, and didn't get a chance to finish.  Maybe I
> have another connect game in progress with my sister at home.  Each
> session stores the game state.  (This example is a bit contrived with
> Connect, but consider Chess or some more lengthy games.)
>
> Here is another interesting idea, though, that may be of use.  I agree
> with the statement that, sometimes, there are things we just DON'T
> care to keep.  Perhaps we should add a secondary option under "Stop"
> that offers "Stop and erase," so that you can rid yourself of the
> "spam" that would have been auto-saved otherwise.  I still think that
> saving by default is a good idea, but offering a way around this for
> those instances when you open a calculator to type in one quick
> equation (for example) wouldn't be a bad thing.

I think that "saving by default" needs to be accompanied by "resuming  
by default". That is, the activity button in the frame should resume  
the most recent instance of an activity (which also implies that it  
would switch between running instances). Creating a new instance of  
an activity should be the exceptional action - it could be  
accomplished by an entry in the activity icon rollover, and possibly  
an icon in the activity toolbar itself.

As long as the frame is the primary way of starting activities (and I  
guess everybody agrees it actually is), this would reinforce the idea  
of "resuming" over "application starting".

- Bert -