Monday, January 24, 2011

Book Reading 3 - HCI Remixed

Chapter 1 - My Vision Isn’t My Vision: Making a Career Out of Getting Back to Where I Started
Summary

One of the first major computing marvels was described and was capable of creating music and animation.  This machine’s main purpose was revealed to be for HCI research.  The title of this selection refers to the writer wanting to eventually give back to the HCI community as much as his experience with this machine and its creators did.

Discussion
Being a massive fan of electronic music or anything containing electronic elements, this was a really interesting story about one of the first machines to make this type of music.  Also, the idea of making a machine for someone like a musician as a means of study was a really clever idea.


Chapter 4 - Drawing on SketchPad: Reflections on Computer Science and HCI
Summary

When creating a program with a user interface, do not only design for novice users.  The needs of the advanced users should also be kept in mind.  It was also noted to design software for users, and not merely for the sake of having such a device.  The end purpose of the device can lose sight in this case.

Discussion
It’s cool that such an old paper can have such influential ideas way ahead of its time.  And the point of designing for advanced users as well is a good point.  I have definitely seen a few programs out there that are perfect for someone with little knowledge in video encoding, for instance.  But these definitely lack the extra control a more advanced user would want, and are therefore not suitable enough for that purpose.  Keeping the target audience in mind is very important.


Chapter 5 - The Mouse, the Demo, and the Big Idea
Summary

The invention of the mouse was discussed, and the writer explained how its demo video prompted her to understand the true notion of the Big Idea.  We are also reminded that great ideas don’t have to be right.  They are successful even if they just compel others to strive for amazing things.

Discussion
HCI was really a foreign field to me before taking this class.  But the more I learn about it, the more I am realizing that I have been surrounded by it my entire life.  And even great ideas can be simple and still revolutionize society by being groundbreaking in regards to HCI.


Chapter 18 - Observing Collaboration: Group-Centered Design
Summary

The development of groupware was discussed.  A major part in the development of this was the study of John Tang who paid close attention to how a group of people collaborated in sketching out ideas.  This is study is still playing a large role in groupware developments today.

Discussion
As in what our ethnography studies will most likely teach us, the most elegant solutions to HCI appear to reside in meticulously watching how people naturally act.  The key to a great design or idea is one that capitalizes on natural human tendencies, and simplifies the technical implementation of them to the point where they still feel natural in a new environment.


Chapter 20 - Taking Articulation Work Seriously
Summary

This chapter discussed more about Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).  It explained that the groupware concept can and should be applied to more areas than just in software applications.

Discussion
This sounded to me like the writer was pointing at CSCW as aiding in helping many people work together in various environments.  Towards the end of the chapter she mentioned bathrooms where the sinks and toilets are automated.  Honestly, I was a little confused at what most of the writer was talking about here.


Chapter 23 - Video, Toys, and Beyond Being There
Summary

Beyond being there refers to enhancing the face-to-face (F2F) interactions as with conferencing and the like.  While original philosophies on this idea attempted to replace F2F interactions with technology, the writer pointed out that technology should enhance F2F instead.

Discussion
The writer brought up Facebook, and this has become a tool for good and bad in enhancing F2F interactions.  The good is obviously learning more about people while being hundreds of miles apart.  When you finally see these people again, you can feel like you have known each other for far longer than is actually the case.  The bad to me is being judged solely by what you do on Facebook.  Here, Facebook is wrongly being used to completely replace F2F interactions.  I realize you need to be mindful of what you do on the internet, but assuming that one facet of a person’s life is enough to describe the person as a whole is unjust and short-minded.  An employer looking up candidates on Facebook is an excellent example of this.  Changing your name is an easy workaround, but I don’t feel this should be an issue in the first place.  I also don’t feel this will ever change.

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