[sugar] a new paradigm for user-to-user communication

[Yama Ploskonka]

This came up when discussing the future of the Sur list, 40+ emails per 
day already, quite a few directly dealing with in-the-field teacher 
requests and suggestions.
It is being sent to Sugar since there is no open list to discuss 
deployment issues and there is a desire for a Sugarized solution to 
email lists/forums, and to Localization, since this is a matter that 
will affect other deployments besides the ones in Latin America.



*re: scaling up a list*
To have any success when this starts really growing, I am of the opinion 
that we will need to figure out a different paradigm.  I am not yet a 
terrible Journal fan, but there is something to be said in favor of 
re-considering how me manage and list information in a way handy for 
people who have little experience with computers.

An un-moderated email list can be really hard for noobs, especially when 
technical or ideological threads get mixed in with genuine "how do I 
do..." questions.

A moderated list stifles quick exchange and requires someone to do it.

The day when kids get on board, such a new approach will be all the more 
important, something as simple as using a Mailman list, but different 
organically, logistically and probably with a sugarized UI.

This, not just for achieving meaningful conversation, but also for good 
contemporary-fashioned safety.  At the very least some sort of re-mailer 
that NEVER allows a kid's email address to be visible before we will 
encourage kids to come in.  I remember the Swedes designed something 
along those lines, I'll try to hunt that.  Another take would eb an 
internal email server in the XS limited to the LAN, but then that would 
be useless for school-2-school and international collaboration among kids.


*re:wikis*
I am not sure our beloved are ready for that.  A wiki is a daunting 
thing when the current TUE difficulty is not being able to figure out 
how to change one's subscription to digest format because single 
messages are too much of a hassle...  But yes, we NEED to get there.

Currently Peru lead setup a shared moodle, Uruguay folks use Google 
groups and blogs, many of them are getting into Sur, which is the idea 
especially for plainfolk exchange.


*re:further needs*
What is urgently needed,(as of yesterday :-)) is a training tool as to 
how to participate in a list, how to use  a list, etc.  I want to keep 
this list a happy family with lots, lots of honest questions and 
answers, definitely not a place for religious wars or technical 
development, but as active as active can be.


*re: signups*
We need to have people sign up to a list, any list, but why not Sur :-), 
right at the moment they are getting their first ever teacher training.

This is not being done currently, I do not know of any good reason not 
to do it.


re: quality of information
I feel again like the journalist I was when much younger.  We will need 
input from Those Who Know so that answers are truthful and timely.  It 
is a sad fact that a lot of our PR has been more effective than our 
development, so while intending to change my ways :-), I hope we will 
avoid plain criticism, but also plain denial.

Yama
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