Blogging from an OLPC

Not exactly an active blog this - with about a 2 year span between blog posts! But now that I have an OLPC and will be playing with it on my way to and from work, I may find the time to write stuff again.

I plan to produce some little applications such as an SVG drawing util - can't believe there isn't one already. Another idea is to create a simple platformer game where kids can learn to program along the way. The latter will make use of the gaming controls built into the laptop, but not used very much as yet (another disappointment with the software theat shipped with the XO laptop)

Right now the OLPC provides a number of programming 'environments' such as etoys, logo, etc. I really like these environments because they encourage play in a free and informal manner. But I also think that the learning experience of more traditional gaming environments is for the most part overlooked by the OLPC community. The idea of mastering small tasks incrementally as one increases one's skill with certain problems, has proved to be fun and engaging for gamers of all levels. I'd really like to see a game that introduces programming skills using this gaming tradition.

My early concept is for a simple platformer, with the story being that the landscape is littered with broken robots and other machines which have been compromised by evil hackers. Your job is to go through level by level and fix the code in the machines so they will work for rather than against you in completing the level.

Each level will introduce a programming command, new syntax or programming problem. Things will start really basic and build up incrementally to pretty tough programming problems near the end of the game.

Of course this will all need to be set up so that levels can be created by a broader online community.