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The Future of Human-Computer Interaction

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the idle-musings dept.

ChelleChelle writes "Starting with the Xerox Alto and the Star, ACM Queue briefly covers the history of human-computer interaction from past to present. It doesn't stop there, however. Using a hypothetical situation involving context-awareness in cellphones, the author lays out his thoughts on the future of HCI, offering opinions, advice, and examples."

7 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Much of my Human-Computer-Interaction by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Most of mine consists of:

    • wtf?
    • You #&%*!!
    • #$*@ %&*@!!
    • $$&*^ piece of $*&^#@!
    • Dropped carrier again? You #&^%*@ *#&%&@ pile of $&^@#!
    • [Fist on keyboard] NO! That's not what I meant!
    • [Mouse against wall] &#%*#$@ you Microsoft!
    • Another $#$*@#&%# seven?!?! (when playing Catan and have enough for a City, at last(!) and have 3 other resources)

      • And that's usually on a pretty good day. Right now I'm experiencing a lot more gremlins than usual.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. It's the global IT language by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I work at a worldwide software engineering company. We recently had a programmer from China visit to learn how to implement our system over there. He spoke fairly poor English yet when asked how he was coping he replied-
    Oh i understand ok, it's all computer terms seperated by swear words, same as back home. :D

  3. Wiimote by Constantine+XVI · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The mouse in its current form is about to be rendered obsolete. With XGL, Quartz3D, AeroGlass, and Looking Glass, we are most assuredly moving twoards fully-3d computer enviroments. As the mouse only moves in two dimensions, it will be time for some change. The Wiimote is perfect for a 3d enviroment. It also has very little learning curve (as much as the adjustment to 3d will have, anyway).

    --
    "I think an etch-a-sketch with an ethernet port would beat IE7 in web standards compliance."
    1. Re:Wiimote by demonbug · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Of course, for the vast majority of tasks done on a computer there is absolutely no advantage to a fully 3D environment. How does a fully 3d environment help me write a report? Track expenses? Find data (unless the data is 3d)? Unless you are working with 3d datasets (or games), there really isn't much (if any) advantage to a 3d environment.

      I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but I don't see much real advantage for the vast majority of computer users from the examples you gave - or any other 3d environment.

      That said, I've had an opportunity to use a CAVE system for a signficant amount of time, and there is no doubt in my mind that a true 3d environment makes it a thousand times easier to work with 3d data - I just don't think that most people would gain anything from this, and trying to force 2d applications into 3d is generally pointless and in fact counterproductive. Makes great eye candy, though.

  4. Future of your Human-Computer-Interaction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    # wtf? stupid humans!
    # You #&%*!! humans!
    # #$*@ %&*@!! humans!!!
    # $$&*^ piece of $*&^#@! human!!
    # Dropped battery again? You #&^%*@ *#&%&@ pile of $&^@#! human!
    # [Fist on human's head] NO! That's not what I meant!
    # [Human against wall] &#%*#$@ you God!

  5. Speech is not the future by rufusdufus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I participated in a study done at..a major research lab..that studied the future of speech as a computer interface. The study was done in such a way as to ignore technology limitations and assume a perfectly working speech and AI system. The conclusion of this study was that speech was not a very good interface for most applications, and would remain a niche forever. The gist was that other modalities, most notably direct manipulation, had less cogntive load, lower latencies,caused less cognitive dissonance, and incited less social friction (eg there is a reason people text message on their phones) compared to speech.
    As you might expect, these results were never published, but instead replaced by another more..paycheck oriented..paper that extolled the bright future of speech interfaces.
    This article is very similar to the researcher-paycheck oriented paper. It appeals to anecdotal fantasies about technology that don't actually work well in reality. Think about the location context phone for example; their example sounds nice but is it really useful? How many people walking around San Francisco would actually be helped by a "dinner,taxi rapid transit" menu on their cell phone? Even if it was useful in theory, in practice that list would simply be more advertising spam intruding into your life.

  6. Great artists Just Steal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm fed up with people misquoting that Picaso line. What he actually said was this:

    <p>Good artists borrow from the work of others.</p><p>Great artists steal.</p>

    (HTML used for emphasis)

    They were two unrelated statements that happened to be said at the same time. Picaso wasn't talking about internalization, plagiarism, or even art theft. Picaso wasn't talking specifically about the every-day kind of theft cat burglars and shoplifters are prosecuted for, either (though it does help maintain credibility to keep a criminal record). Picaso was talking about hucksters and grifters, about con-artists and the IRS: people who convince others to hand over money and offer little in return. A piece of paper that's already got some scribbles on it, some canvas that's already been spoiled, a CD that's filled with 48 minutes of senseless noise. Picaso knew something true artists should never forget: real art is in the money. Anyone can splash a few blobs of paint on a canvas and claim it worthy of wall space. If you can convince someone else it's worthy of their wallspace, though... if you can convince them to pay you thousands of dollars for something that took you 25 minutes and three cans of Dulux... then you are an artist. Not before.

    Great artists steal our pocketbook lining, and the pocketbook linings of one another. Don't be fooled by this deceptive philosophy called art, and don't set foot into its seedy underworld. It is criminal stuff; an artist-eat-artist mire of corruption. The RIAA treats artists as the American Mafia treats store owners through protection rackets. Universal/EMG, Sony/BMG, WB treat artists as pimps treat their hos, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera (arguably the finest, most critically acclaimed artists since N*Sync) treat one another as fighting cocks.

    Mothers, tell your sons to choose lawyering, life, love, and any of the fine sciences over this corrupt influence we call "art".

    This is The Voice Of Fate signing off. Have a Pleasant Evening.