[E-Lang] Pet Extensions and such (was: what is good about E?)

[Marc Stiegler]

> dialog box with a matrix, where each authorization is a proposed name and
an
> initially-on checkbox in the matrix.  Each column of the matrix is an
> extension that you propose to grab, and each row is a namespace from which
> you need to grab a name.  Each cell should also indicate to the user (not
the
> caplet) if there's already a conflicting use of the proposed name in that
> row's namespace.
>
> For Windows, I count three rows/namespaces:

For anyone trying to relate the installation system I described to the
installation system markm described, allow me to make clear that I was
describing a v0.1 (persistence-less, which makes a difference, though  I
don't understand the difference clearly yet) installer for an
edesk/E-Language-Machine computer, and markm was talking about how to
integrate with a legacy desktop like Windows. The edesk/ELM system will be
much more like a RedWire/EROS than it is like a system for Windows (though
it is yet again different :-)

> Let's not assume this will necessarily be hard to use until more thinking
> has been invested into making it be easy.  To date, only three people
> (Miriam, Ping, MarcS) have ever tried to attack these problems, with very
> little total time invested so far.  Their work has already shown that
secure
> interaction can be miraculously more usable than we had any reason to
> expect.  You are certainly a very serious UI designer. I'd love to see
what
> you come up with.

Exactly. Markm's description of what is needed would leave me trembling in
fear except for the work I have done already thinking about how to present
it, which has left me with a calm belief that, while I do not have all the
answers, answers can be achieved that will surprise us with their
straightforwardness (though when people look at them, they will say, "well,
that is so obvious, how can you say it required creativity and insight?"
:-). Ken, you are exactly the sort of person this expedition will need to
reach the far shore.

--marcs