Sugar Network/Concept: Difference between revisions

The whole initiative is tailored by the following decisions:

* The Sugar Network should be useful in off-line environments;

* The scope of provided [[#Resources|resources]] should cover the full complement of low level collaborative behaviors between Network participants; where ''low level'' means that [[#Resources|resources]] are shared for all types of collaborative [[#Contexts|contexts]];

* The scope of provided [[#Resources|resources]] should be designed so that the Sugar Network is equally useful operating on-line as off-line;

* The software architecture and interfaces are structured to stimulate a "doing" and "sharing" workflow.

| [[File:Sugar-network.png]]

| Where,

* '''Server'''<br>is shared data and services, in general. It might be a server accessible from the Internet (on-line case) or various distributed servers located, e.g., in schools (off-line case). See [[Platform_Team/Sugar_Network|technical pages]] for more details.

* '''Conceptual level logic'''<br>The design logic and software code structures that reify the Sugar Network concepts. From a conceptual level, these designs and code standards represent a separate entity that operates inbetween the Clients and Servers. From the technical perspective, this level is represented by the Server [[Platform_Team/Sugar_Network/API|application programming interface (API)]] and [[Platform_Team/Sugar_Network/Objects_model|objects model]] in particular.

* '''Client'''<br>is the software that allows Network participants to interact with the Sugar Network. These software components let people get access to the Sugar Network, and define how the Sugar Network should appear to users according to their needs. The user experience provided by the client software will vary from need to need, starting from a couple of elements in the existing software [[Wikipedia:Graphical_user_interface|GUI]] (when people even don't suspect they are interacting with the Sugar Network), and extending to clients that represent advanced conceptual elements of the Sugar Network as closely as possible.

The needs that the Sugar Network is trying to support. They might be described by the following selection of [[Wikipedia:Fundamental_human_needs|Fundamental human needs]]:

General question about the Context. A user-friendly interface for asking questions about the current Context. The workflow is much simpler when compared to typical bug trackers (Trac, RT, etc.).  It is intended to be more like "forums" or wiki "discussion" pages&mdash;just ask your question and wait for answers. In some cases, Questions might be treated as a kind of simple [[Wikipedia:Knowledge base|knowledge base]] for the Context (in contrast to bug trackers, Questions are not closed after answers are provided). The most useful Questions might be picked up to compose the [[Wikipedia:FAQ|FAQ]] for the Context.

Other of non-developer needs are covered by [[#Ideas|Ideas]] and [[#Problems|Problems]]. Developer needs are covered by the [[#Objectives|Objectives]] and its advanced view in particular.

:* Create a Solution;

:* Discuss a Solution;

:* Vote for a single Solution;

:* Vote given by Question creator means an answer for the Question.

Any ideas regarding the Context. A user-friendly interface to propose your idea to the current Context developers. The workflow is much simpler, compared to typical bug trackers, just offer your suggestion, see how other people will rate it, and wait for an implementation.

:* Create a Solution;

:* Context team member attaches one of Objectives to one of Solutions, the Idea's status becomes the same as Objective's.

:* Create Solution;

:* Attach one of Releases as a Solution;

:* Vote given by Problem creator means a fix for the Problem.

:* View the history of modifying.

A collection of binary objects, of types depending on Context type, associated the the Context. Such artifacts might be, for example, Journal objects created by Sugar activities.

:* Simplify creation of a new Exhibit by having a UI way to quickly share a newly created activity object, e.g., from within the Naming alert or from the Journal.

For software Contexts, this Resource is about released versions of this Context software. This is exactly what a User can execute. There might be several implementations with different stability levels. By default, Users execute only the most recent stable version, but it is possible to choose any version.

:* Support Experiments workflow where people can make a copy of an existing Context and start experimenting with the code and use it on a regular basis, e.g., share with the rest of Sugar Network.

:* Convenient method to attach log reports with errors to the particular Release, e.g., "Share the log" button on activity fail dialog.

These are the exact objectives that a Context is trying to achieve. This type of Resources has two faces:

* The view for Users that are not the part of Context implementers, they see this Resource as a list of, e.g., features that the Context is trying to provide;

:* Create by Context owners;

All kinds of resources might be [[#Participation|commented on by any users]]. The Sugar Network does not provide any restrictions or permissions, the model is [[#Freedom|leaving responsibility to a viewer]].

If some Resource has been changed, e.g., as a result of User interaction, the Resource sends out global notifications. The notification might be seen while investigating this particular object or by Following this Resource. In the last case, events will go to followers' queue of global events.

These are kinds of workflows that [[#Roles|Roles]] can take part in. The particular activity might involve several Users and several Roles.

:* If search is not successful, describe your problem in Problem (as well for Questions and Ideas) entry widget as fully as possible;

:* Since there is not any ideas about what part of the system is affected, thus, there is no way to decide against which Context to complain, go to Browser and click Home Context button;

:* If the search is not successful, describe your problem in a Problem entry widget (as for Questions and Ideas) as fully as possible;

:* If the search is not successful, describe your problem in Problem entry widget (as for Questions and Ideas) as fully as possible;

Suppose a Sugar activity fails to start or fails on exit.

=== Sugar activities ===

Fast launch of an activity.

:* Go to the Browser and explore the activity you want to start, maybe using the ''Activity'' Tag or full-text search;

Launch particular activity version, e.g., to help with testing non-stable version or fallback to previous one because the recent version doesn't work for you.

:* Go to the Browser and explore the activity you want to start, maybe using the ''Activity'' Tag or full-text search;

:* You should find the list of Releases with the recent stable Release chosen, select any version you want;

:* Pick up, select, collect these Contexts (depends on implementation);

:* Once at home where a Network is not accessible, you will see all chosen Contexts in the Browser;

:* A limited functionality (depends on implementation) will be supported for these Contexts.

:* Go to the Browser and explore the activity you want to start, maybe using the ''Activity'' Tag or full-text search;