[Sugar-devel] Sugar's future: soliciting feedback

[Anish Mangal]

Hi,

In this past month, there has been lots of discussion on sugar-devel to
figure out the future of sugar in our evolving ecosystem. A feature of
those conversations has been the acceptance of changed or less-conspicuous
realities and a search for a new path to accommodate for them.
Co-incidentally, sugar-0.100 was just released not too long ago, and
discussions around 0.102 are taking place, while at the same time a few
interesting experiments on the side are being carried on. Enormous shifts
in the directions olpc is taking is forcing many to rethink their
association with both sugar and olpc at a very core level. Clarity in
thought and action is the need of the hour.

One of the challenges with most education-technology initiatives is the
lack of representation from people who aren't necessarily "technologists"
*and* the lack of communication between various groups in the project. To
quote a somewhat controversial figure:

"The best tools are built when there is respectful two way conversation
between people who build tools, and the people who use them." -Sal Khan

It is really encouraging to see folks on this channel acknowledging the
importance of the same, and to support that cause, I propose to conduct
some research through a survey. The idea is to reach a very wide group of
people within the ecosystem, and ask them hard questions about sugar, and
their association with the project. Then filter that into useful feedback
along various dimensions to hopefully support the "sugar future/direction"
discussion. I will keep both the survey process and results public (though
not so during the time it is taking place to avoid anchoring).

Thoughts?

- - - -

About me:
My association with the Sugar project started in early 2010. I started out
as a volunteer developer, but soon spent time in deployments in Paraguay,
and Uruguay. I have also collaborated with olpc-Au in the past and have
been responsible for a few releases of the dextrose sugar distribution. I
spent the last year at Univ of Michigan completing grad study in Design,
Edu. Psychology, Entrepreneurship (and a few other things). I have been
involved with the School Server Community Edition (schoolserver.org) since
early this year, and want to get back to contributing to sugar. I am an
employee of ActivityCentral.

Cheers,
Anish
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