Naur

From Peter Naur's writing, we get the idea that the team is working to create a common theory for their work. In terms of the Swamp Game (p. 49), the team starts off not knowing what they are supposed to build, where in the swamp to build it, or what the layout of the swamp is. The theory they are building is the answer to those three questions.

Part of the communication aspect of the cooperative game is establishing a shared direction for the team and a shared view of what the results need to look like. This is called common vision in some writings. Naur's theory includes this idea and also a common understanding of why the thing is put together the way it is.

Common vision and common understanding of why the thing is put together the way it is are both part of any cooperative game, and most certainly our cooperative games of invention and communication.

Naur's discussion of theory building as a personal activity helps us to understand modes of transmitting understanding from one person to another. There is nothing that says that written documentation is the best way to convey understanding; possibly it is the worst. If we take the challenge to "convey understanding," then we can experiment with different ways until we find some that work better.