[kidsUI] Alfredo's idea

[Doug Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

Alfredo Kojima mentioned that we probably ought to start some sort of 
"stalking horse" program, a program for kids that we can use to 
experiment with on our ideas of UI concepts appropriate for them.  We 
never got much beyond that point, but I think the idea's a good one and 
I'd like to propose such a program.

Something I'd like to see for Linux is a program of the type I'll call 
"storybook creators."  A storybook creator would have elements of a 
simple wordprocessor and of a simple graphics program.  It would present 
the child with a page (and the on-screen presentation probably ought to 
be very close or identical to the printed representation) where a 
section would be set aside for a picture and a section would be for 
text.  The child could draw the picture from scratch, or select from 
stored background images and stored "stamps".  The background/stamp 
possibility would be similar to a child's sticker book.  For each page 
the child could then write a few sentences of text to describe the 
picture and tell a story.  Text-to-speech and background music audio 
additions could also be possible.

If we decide to work on something like this as a textbed, I suggest we 
use an existing text editor engine rather than developing one 
ourselves.  That would allow us to concentrate on the UI questions we're 
interested in, and might give us the chance to investigate the 
"expandable" UI concept I've mentioned once or twice.  If we agree to do 
this, I suggest we consider Ted <http://www.nllgg.nl/Ted/> as the editor 
we start with.

--
Doug Loss                 Even if you're on the right track,
Data Network Coordinator  you'll get run over if you just
Bloomsburg University     sit there.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Will Rogers