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Rage Against the Machines

Posted by michael on from the broken-dreams dept.

wiredbeat2000 writes "Kent Norman is a cognitive psychologist and director of the Laboratory for Automation Psychology and Decision Processes at the University of Maryland. He studies -- and makes films about -- why people lose it, and smash their computers, PDAs, mice, ect. MIT's Technology Review has a story about his lab."

7 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Well at least by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the machines don't smash their users, yet...

  2. It is extremely irrational by AbbyNormal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    to strike one's computer in anger.

    We must first create some sort of artificial intellegence within the computer with sensory perception. Only THEN can we slowly, painfully, and deliberately exact our revenge on it!

    --
    Sig it.
    1. Re:It is extremely irrational by DanteLysin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If you're running Windows and got "yet another BSOD", you might have just cause.

    2. Re:It is extremely irrational by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Anger is neither rational or irrational. It's an emotion.

      --
      Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
  3. Reluctant by kaleco · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I am reluctant to destroy hardware, but the consequences of venting frustration on other people are far worse.

    I've never broken anything but I have tested the robustness of my keyboard a few times.

    --
    Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped. Calvin Coolidge
  4. a picture of US tech consumers by recharged95 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    He describes an interesting phenomena occurring in American consumer electronics. Basically, US tech consumers like intuitive products as mentioned since Sony left the US market. Intuitive products will always appear "smart" or "intelligent" to a user from a psychology standpoint such that they become humanized. That's since we associate intuitiveness as an exclusive human trait. Case in point: ever here a person say "stupid car", "stupid pda", "stupid phone"? (Considering a phone can't be stupid, but a human can!)

    And so that's the root of why people "lose" it. Unless the way technology is perceived differently (you don't see Japanese folks 'smashing' their tech toys on a routine basis), our professor from the article will have a nice secure job,

    and a lot of useless equipment.

    Any possible therapy? Why yes! Just read the directions...., doh.

  5. Re:Merry Christmas Geeks by m50d · · Score: 3, Insightful
    You do realise you're on slashdot yourself on christmas eve posting that, yes?

    Well, time to go up out of the basement and sing some carols. Merry Christmas to you.

    --
    I am trolling