Action Language

FlowPlace is all about action, the flows of actions, where they start in intention, alignment and commitment, where they are in play, accumulating a history of contributing actions, mishaps and changes to the context and ending whether in success, failure or abandonment.

See also: http://wiki.openkollab.com/wagn/LanguageActions

Captured from chat:

Gerry Gleason: 09:17:36

    Can I comment generallys on the design?  I really like the language of "intentions", but I don't like that it become either a request or offer of intention.  I think of intentions as offerings, and the other as another type of intentional object that expresses an interest in the intentions.  I wan't to call the intention-requests "interests".  Anyone  else feel strongly about  any of this?

zoupic.nl: 09:21:06

    Gerry > i thought about "ideas"

zoupic.nl: 09:21:41

    but yes, I agree there is something strange in intention, when you arrive first there and you don't know what is request / offer of intention, you need to check the others to have an idea and get it

Jean-François Noubel: 09:21:46

    Gerry: "intention" not saying whether this is a request or offer is exactly the goal. But I guess this is more of a conversation with the group later

Amine Kabbaj: 09:24:15

    @Gerry : i feel that looking for the 1st time to "intentions" and checking with the others for the meaning when you're not used to it is part of the education process one have to go through.... that's why the word intentions & actions seems pretty accurate to me. what do you think ?

Gerry Gleason: 09:24:42

    I think of "intention" as something I'm willing to take a stand on, willing to act couragously if necessary.  It feels funny asking someone else to have an intention to do something I want.  On the other hand when someone expresses interest in my intentions, and is willing to say what would be of most value when I deliver that intention, then they are giving to the intention too, but not in the same active way.  As a recipient, which is active too in its own ways.

zoupic.nl: 09:25:52

    so there are intention in request/offer where you need a proposal to transform it into actions

zoupic.nl: 09:26:17

    and there are personal ideas or project where you can need somebody to comment, critic, participate

zoupic.nl: 09:26:36

    is this it?

Gerry Gleason: 09:27:31

    I think it is different when an intention is incomplete in the sense that I cannot do all of the pieces and am requesting help in completing them.  I would want to express this as an interest linking my intention to intentions (possibly not existing yet) to deliver on that interest.

Jean-François Noubel: 09:27:54

    Gerry: intentions are placed as impersonal. You just place them 'for the universel". Ex: I need my car fixed. Or "I want an internet site", etc

Gerry Gleason: 09:28:35

    Yes, I understand that, but there is authorship in standing in that place of intention.

Amine Kabbaj: 09:29:19

    Le Monde a oé : "....Noubel le prophète...;" (angel) Oh Mon prophète sauve nous de cette misère générale qui s'annonce 8

Gerry Gleason: 09:29:22

    In that sense it is always on offering, even if there are imlied requests to cover what those now holding the intention can do.

Gerry Gleason: 09:29:56

    Anyway, it is a bigger disussion, and I dont' want to derail the work getting to know the way it works now.

zoupic.nl: 09:31:36

    I think adding somewhere on the intentions page or in the how-to this lines would be great :  intentions are placed as impersonal. You just place them 'for the universel". Ex: I need my car fixed. Or "I want an internet site", etc

Jean-François Noubel: 09:33:21

    thank you for offering this discussion Gerry, we must move on and refine what's already there

Gerry Gleason: 09:33:33

    I have a background in the linguistic thinking of Fernando Flores who was an innovator in the language of action back in the '80s.  His design of "The Coordinator" had most conversations starting as "Requests" or "Offers" leading to "Promises" and then completion, etc.

Jean-François Noubel: 09:33:42

    and I guess at this stage, we need feedback from users, from a wider array of the ecosystem

Gerry Gleason: 09:34:21

    yes, just wanted to give some of the backgroup too, and to see how others who are new to this are seeing these distinctions.

Jean-François Noubel: 09:40:35

    Gerry, would you write some synthesis about what you shared? This might be precious for the group. Maybe in the TT forum?