[OLPC Security] Seamless Lessons & Security (commentary)

[reynt0]

On Tue, 8 Jul 2008, Toby Murray wrote:
  . . .
> What fancy information? I'm advocating not providing an
> "information"-laden dialog that makes no sense to the user -- whether
> they can read or not. I'm advocating the whatever user interaction is
> required for the unspoofable method invocation, you better be sure that
> it conveys enough information to infer the authority that the user
> expects the activity to be granted.
  . . .

To step back a little from this discussion, FWIW:

Does the basic idea set of OLPC include encouraging generic
"agency" (ie something like an awareness of the possibility
of self-assertiveness) on the p[art of XO users?  I think it
does, tho maybe not stated explicitly in those terms?  The
opportunity to react to a popup is a primitive opportunity
to practice agency--a popup may be just an offer of a binary
choice set ("yes" or "no") but gives the user an opportunity
of self-expression, albeit a lot more primitive than writing
one's own little prog and showing it to one's friend or
classmates.

Might viewing the popup dialog box issue in this way be
helpful in creating dialog boxes which could be some
approximation to generally--culturally neutral--understandable?
If the users have any intro to the units, the ideas included
in such intro could prepare their minds for being in control
of their units; and dialog boxes then could be, rather than
prompters of the stereotypical power user annoyance or
clueless user synaptic click-through, instead little items
of interest and (ideally) happiness at self-expression.  And
also (ideally) recognizable as occasions to behave with the
responsibility I would suppose users likely will be asked
to practice around the units.  Kids will have to be expected
to experiment with rules, and might well click "yes" when
they should click "no" {*} just to see what happens, but
with any luck they'd be doing it with awareness.
{*:  of course, the understanding I'm suggesting might
result in dialog boxes whose choice sets might involve 
values other than "yes" or "no"; that would be part of the
craft of getting the right design}