[Sugar-devel] [DESIGN] Re: [IAEP] Sugar Design Meeting/Reunión 21 September at 11 PM UTC IRC Sugar Meeting [DESIGN]

[James Cameron]

On Fri, Sep 22, 2017 at 06:19:48AM -0500, Laura Vargas wrote:
> Thank you all that were present for the reactivation meeting for the
> Sugar Labs Design Team.

It was a horrible experience.

> Gracias a todos los que estuvieron presentes para la reactivación
> del equipo de Diseño de Sugar Labs.

Can't read that.

> James, Tony
> 
> Thanks for your feedback.
> 
> After yesterday 's meeting am trying to understand the current
> process for design ideas to become Sugar features.

You are yet to understand design ideas and features.

But first,

1.  when Walter and I referred to the feature process, it was to
progress a specific design idea of yours, and not a general
recommendation.

2.  there is no defined process for design ideas to become features,
and no process is needed.


Practice has varied, but the following describes practice in past few
years.

A design idea or design proposal is a general statement by a designer,
usually with the goal of design consistency across the totality of
Sugar and Sugar Labs.

A feature is a software-function to be added to Sugar.

The two are orthogonal; in different dimensions of a matrix.

For a feature, a person or persons must propose it, in the form
described by the features page using the feature template.  Purpose of
the template is to optimise the review, consensus, development and
release processes.

A feature page is subject to extreme editing for consensus.

Design team may, or may not, review the feature.  Some features
required no design team input.

Development team may, or may not, review the feature, before merging.

Release team will review the feature before release.

Feature may still be ignored, delayed or unimplemented if consensus is
not reached.

There is no guarantee a feature will be implemented.

Features stand or fall on the consensus of merit.

Features often change extensively to achieve consensus.

Over our history, many features unimplemented in Sugar have been
implemented in forks, or as plugins, or as activities.

Remember that the development team and Sugar Labs is a meritocracy,
and not a democracy.  There is no appeal for failure to meet
consensus, you must return to seeking consensus.

> I see many ideas from 2012 at
> https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Design_Team/Proposals and not design
> features like "3G_Support" on the
> https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Features

Design team proposals are not necessarily features.  Some design team
proposals became features.  Some features were design team proposals.

But many design team proposals were not features, and many features
were not design team proposals.  Features and design team proposals
are orthogonal.

You cannot deduce practice by reading the Wiki.  You can only deduce
practice by participating.  You are yet to participate.  You are
looking for process and procedure, but it is impossible to codify
these in our software development meritocracy.

> Let's say for example a teacher on field suggests we should make
> downloading new activities easy and doable from the Sugar User
> Interface. What should the teacher do with his/her idea?

Certainly should not approach Sugar Labs now, as it is a hostile
and adversarial environment.  Teachers should work through their
information technology support team or supplier.

Is this a serious feature request or an illustration?  It isn't clear
to me, and it wasn't clear to Tony.

I'm not sure what you mean by "new activities".  Do you mean
activities that are new to the child, activities that are new to the
computer, or new versions of activities that are already on the
computer?

Agreed with Tony, we already have such a feature.  Are you sure you
are testing Sugar 0.111 with Browse 201.2?  We really must insist that
you do, before proposing any design idea or feature.

Downloading new-to-the-child or new-to-the-computer activities is easy;

1.  start the Browse activity and click on "activities",

2.  search for activities, and click "download".

Tony, Samuel, and GSoC 2017 participant Jatin Dhankhar have worked
hard to improve this experience in the past few months, and we are
waiting for it to arrive.

https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Summer_of_Code/Jatin_Dhankhar
https://jatindhankhar.in/blog/

Downloading new versions of already-present activities is easy;

1.  click on the icon in the centre of the home view, select My
Settings, _or_ use the alt-shift-m shortcut,

2.  click on Software Update.

> Thanks for helping me understand.

Now show you understand, otherwise I'll think you're trolling, and
I've wasted my time.  ;-)

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.netrek.org/