[Sigia-l] UI for the $150 Laptop (OLPC)

[Celeste 'seele' Paul]

On Wednesday 29 November 2006 01:36, Ziya Oz wrote:
> Celeste 'seele' Paul:
> > Considering that would only piss off developers and not really get
> > anything done...
>
> I find this approach, what's the word, dangerous.
>
> I shouldn't have to worry about pissing off or inconveniencing developers
> to be able to criticize the design/UX aspects of a project. Any project.
> I've always found the knee-jerk reaction of the open source community
> ("either join us or stop whining") to be one of its most critical short
> comings.
>
> Either as a user or an un-engaged designer I don't have to do anything.
> That shouldn't mean that I automatically lose my ability to bring criticism
> to the table. Why? Because, above all, it shortchanges the open source
> community of a source of evaluation and, hopefully, improvement. It's
> myopic in the extreme.

No, but why waste your time if you don't hope for something to come of your 
suggestions? 

OSS is a community of people, not ideas.  Your ideas mean less if you don't 
commit yourself as a person.  The best successes with usability in OSS have 
been when designers become a part of the family and not an outside 
contractor.  You can write a review, and maybe some one will look at it, but 
it will make a magnatude of differences if you 1) get to know the community 
first, and 2) commit to some kind of future relationship instead of a one 
night stand.

> > I wouldnt suggest staging an attack on all their hard work.
>
> Criticism is not the same as "attack" and I hadn't yet engaged in either.
> Do we stop criticizing design work because somebody "worked hard on it"?
> What kind of absurdity is that?
>
> > If you are truly interested in contributing to OLPC, I suggest joining
> > the sugar mailing list or getting in contact with some of the developers
> > (sugar at laptop.org).
>
> "Truly interested"? So you're saying that if I don't "contact some of the
> developers," my intentions are automatically suspect? That's offensive.

Not suspect but by establishing a relationship with the project, you also 
establish your commitment and credentials.  If the project developers dont 
know who you are or what you do, why would they risk resources implementing 
your suggestions. Dropping a report in their lap and saying "see ya" is very 
rude.

There is a saying in the community "Ideas dont matter, but people do".  At 
least introduce yourself and your intentions before you ask them to commit to 
untrusted work.

> > Rule #1 in Open Source Usability is Dont Go In With Guns
> > Blazing.
>
> Are you suggesting that we have a *different* standard of usability for
> open source? Is that what you really want?

No, we have a different work ethic. Usability is usability is usability 
(forgiving that "usability" itself is a loaded word), and the theories, 
methods, and design practices are the same no matter the product.  The fact 
that something is "Open Source" doesn't change the idea usability.  The only 
thing that changes is the people, and remember it is the people who matter.

> > OSS developers dont appreciate when outsiders come in and "critique"
> > their work without making the effort to become intimate with the project,
> > and I suspect it is the same way with OLPC.
>
> Again, this is a self-delusional approach to design evaluation. That's like
> saying when a movie sucks reviewers shouldn't be able to criticize it
> because a) they weren't there and b) it was hard to produce.

A movie reviewer sucks if they haven't pre-established that they know anything 
about movies, have the same taste in movies, or that their audience has any 
idea what they are talking about.

It is the people thing again.

> > What works in industry only works because there is someone on top who
> > signs all the checks.
>
> No, because there's various forms of accountability, one of which is the
> approval and appreciation of users. (BTW, it's absurd to claim that OSS
> practitioners are always unpaid.)

Of course not, there are millions of dollars going in to Open Source every 
year via roundabout means. There are also millions of man hours every year 
which are purely volunteer.  Work which is done for the love of technology 
and community.

> > OSS is not industry and the rules are very different.
>
> In the end, from the POV of users, who cares what the rules of OSS are!

The users shouldn't be required to know the engineering lifecycle of an OSS 
product in order to use it.  You, as a design practictioner clearly 
interested in making OSS better, should be.

> "Outsiders" would not be evaluating production methods of OSS, just the
> resulting design at the end. I hope you're not asking for the equivalent of
> affirmative action in design evaluation for OSS projects. Are you?

Uh no, I don't know where to being wondering how you came up with that.  

You certainly threw this discussion and my advice out of proportion.  If you 
want to successfully contribute your time and make a difference in Open 
Source, whether it be OLPC or anything else out there, you have to make it 
personal.  Contact the project.  Tell them about yourself and ask if they 
want your advice.  Start small to prove yourself and help them build a trust 
in you (the person) and your work (the ideas).  Remember, it is a 
*community*, interpersonal skills matter just as much as your other skills.

~ C

-- 
Celeste 'seele' Paul
www.obso1337.org