Changes

OLPC aims to provide a platform which encourages expression through creation.  In support of this idea, activities — not applications — provide the main tools through which objects are created.  Whenever possible, activities should be named with descriptive verbs, or suitable pseudo-verbs, in order to emphasize their function as ''things you do.''

OLPC aims to provide a platform which encourages expression through creation.  In support of this idea, activities — not applications — provide the main tools through which objects are created.  Whenever possible, activities should be named with descriptive verbs, or suitable pseudo-verbs, in order to emphasize their function as ''things you do.''

More specifically, the phrase "<activity> with my friends" should make sense.  For instance "draw with my friends," "browse with my friends", "chat with my friends" and "type with my friends" all make much more sense than "text editor with my friends."  Similarly, "Tam-tam with my friends" reads as an action, even though you may have never heard "tam-tam" before.  Treating the activity as an action (verb) and not as a thing (noun) maintains the interaction model that the laptop tries to embody.

More specifically, the phrase "<activity> with my friends" should make sense.  For instance "draw with my friends," "browse with my friends", "chat with my friends" and "edit text with my friends" all make much more sense than "text editor with my friends."  Similarly, "Tam-tam with my friends" reads as an action, even though you may have never heard "tam-tam" before.  Treating the activity as an action (verb) and not as a thing (noun) maintains the interaction model that the laptop tries to embody.

Of course, we don't mean to impose arbitrary limits on the types and number of activities that the platform has the potential to support.  Just because there is a "Draw" activity doesn't mean that one must either find a synonym or come up with a different activity.  (However, note that the former can be a very reasonable approach, as a synonym might actually have subtly different connotations which better support the concept of the activity. For instance, drawing and painting typically imply two very different types of media, dry and wet respectively.  Much is gained when these types of differences are reflected in the nature of the activity, and are not simply arbitrary.)  In modern language, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbing verbification] has become common practice in speech.  Many words function as both nouns and as verbs, indicating the action of creation and the resulting product of that action; additionally, many nouns can also function as verbs.  For instance, you've probably "Googled" something in the past few days.  Many nouns, not just proper ones, can be used in a similar manner.

Of course, we don't mean to impose arbitrary limits on the types and number of activities that the platform has the potential to support.  Just because there is a "Draw" activity doesn't mean that one must either find a synonym or come up with a different activity.  (However, note that the former can be a very reasonable approach, as a synonym might actually have subtly different connotations which better support the concept of the activity. For instance, drawing and painting typically imply two very different types of media, dry and wet respectively.  Much is gained when these types of differences are reflected in the nature of the activity, and are not simply arbitrary.)  In modern language, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbing verbification] has become common practice in speech.  Many words function as both nouns and as verbs, indicating the action of creation and the resulting product of that action; additionally, many nouns can also function as verbs.  For instance, you've probably "Googled" something in the past few days.  Many nouns, not just proper ones, can be used in a similar manner.