Alan,
Thank you _very much_ for those leads. I'll check them out.
There are strengths and weaknesses with this view of end-user computing. Some of the strengths are obvious, but can you spot the weaknesses?
I can think of some weaknesses:
* Students may not be familiar with the coordinate system - but students play games on grids... a lot.
* Information overload - which is why collapsing is essential.
* Extra positioning information stored with every object - Unless positioning information is calculate just for the view port of what's needed at the time dynamically per a set of rules.
* Lack of fine grain control - Which is why columns should not be forced to line up with the columns beyond it's scope above and below. Also one should allow as much automatic fine grain adjustments as possible by defining a set of rules on what should be seen. One should inform the system What they want to see and Why, and let the system resolve the positioning in most cases. Fine grain congrol can be added just when needed. Then save the cell-by-cell positioning as a named view that the user can navigate to again and reuse.
* Fixed boarders take up too much screen space - icons & collapsed window headers take up more.
* Lack of aesthetics - allow coloring and other visual clues, hide grid lines, allow graphics in cells for purposes of control (more like thumbnail representations.
* Occlusion at the cell level as when a spreadsheet cell is not allowed to wrap its text - can be handled by hovering or pivoting full info into view.
* It's hard to get multiple tools an the screen at the same time such as System Browsers - More freedom in setting column widths should help this.
* Navigation can become Disorienting - maps and breadcrumbs would help.
* Navigating by arrow keys becomes difficult w/o columns lining up-
Another strength: * The car's eye won't see the ScriptEditor on top of the track, even though that is a learning experience too.
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Getting schools to change is a social engineering issue. Rules of psychology can be considered tools in that kind of engineering. Remember, of four major personality types (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Cautious) most of all people fall in the "I want things safe and not to change" catagory. (Using the D.i.S.C. method) We convince them by showing it's safe to change and dangerous/family-threatening to not make this change.
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Another new use for tables & testing: WardCunningham's Fit framework to facilitate cooperation between customers, testers and developers.
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I had briefly visited Agentsheets before but they didn't seem intuitive to me before. I'll review their sample app again.
My search skills brougt up nothing for "The Analyst" in Google. I'll try further afield.
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Mitch Kaphor is suddenly very interested in open source spreadsheets now. I wonder why. http://www.osafoundation.org/ - Home page has two articles.
Cheers, Darius
Dominance
getting immediate results causing action accepting challenges making quick decisions questioning the status quo taking authority causing trouble solving problems
Influence
contacting people making a favorable impression verbalizing with articulateness creating a motivational environment generating enthusiasm entertaining people desiring to help others participating in a group
Steadiness
performing an accepted work pattern sitting or staying in one place demonstrating patience developing specialized skills concentrating on the task showing loyalty being a good listener calming excited people
Cautious
following directives and standards concentrating on detail working under controlled circumstances being diplomatic with people checking for accuracy criticizing performance critical thinking complying with authority
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