Chapter 1: My Vision Isn’t My Vision: Making a Career Out of Getting Back to Where I Started
William Buxton, Microsoft Research, Toronto, Canada
J.K. Pulfer, 1971: "Man-Machine Interaction in Creative Applications"
Summary:
This essay relates the story of a musician and how we was first introduced to the world of computers. He states that his life was changed after visiting the lab, and continues on describing the characteristics of the computer that he started working on. He recognizes the work of the designers asserting that the system had being built "with technologically naive users in mind," and how the real objective of these system designers was to study HCI, and not simply develop a music system.
Discussion:
It is interesting to read about how computers change people's lives. It makes me think about what we have been discussing in class, it is important to develop systems that will be useful and desirable to use; when developing technology we should keep in mind who will be using this product. I also found really interesting the author's opinion about Pulfer's paper, how we thinks the paper does not really describe the impact that this system had. I really liked the fact the author appreciates and recognizes the contribution the system had for the field of HCI.
Chapter 4: Drawing on SketchPad: Reflections on Computer Science and HCI
Joseph A. Konstan. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
I. Sutherland, 1963: "SketchPad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System"
Summary:
Konstan describes characteristics of the SketchPad system such has its capability of pointing with a light pen, rendering of lines, circles and text, constraints and their display, as well as the data structures, algorithms, and programming structures used in the development of the system. He describes these capabilities in order to demonstrate how HCI and the advancements in the field of Computer Science are closely related. Konstan is trying to refute the idea that HCI should be separated from the computer science departments, according to him, the field of computer science has advanced thanks to the efforts of trying to develop a computer that can better interact with humans.
Discussion:
In this essay, Konstan mentions how there was a lack of work directed at more specialized systems, systems that for example would require a more extensive training. In the previous readings and discussions, we have been talking about how the technology we develop should be 'user friendly,' how there are many people out there currently using only one setting on their everyday products because they are too complicated to understand. I liked the fact that Konstan reminds of the importance of HCI research on those more specialized areas, of course if I was having a surgery, I would like my doctors to understand thoroughly the technologies they are using, and not just use the one setting they have managed to understand.
Chapter 5: The Mouse, the Demo, and the Big Idea
Wendy Ju. Standford University, Standford, California.
D. Englebart, 1968: "The oNLine System (NLS) Demo"
Summary:
Summary:
The first part of this essay talks about how the creation and demonstration of the mouse in 1968, inspired Wendy Ju, in 2006, to understand what she really wanted to do with her career. The second part illustrates her realization of the importance of demos. In the final part, Big Idea, Ju explains how the demonstration of a Big Idea will not always convey the message that the demonstrator wants to convey, even further, not all people in the audience will take with them the same message at all.
Discussion:
I think the purpose of this essay is to make the reader realize that even when we do not receive the outcome or appreciation we expected from the ideas we present, it does not mean our ideas are not valuable. It just means they are valuable in different ways to different people, and they show their appreciation in different ways.
Chapter 18: Observing Collaboration: Group-Centered Design
Summary:
Greenberg talks about observational studies of shared work surfaces carried out during the late 1980s by various individuals. These studies compared and contrasted how small groups of people interact when working together and sharing work surfaces. Greenberg explains how these studies affected the way new systems were being developed at that time, and how this affected future shared workspace research.
Discussion:
Chapter 18: Observing Collaboration: Group-Centered Design
Saul Greenberg. University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
J. Tang, 1989: "Listing, Drawing, and Gesturing in Design: A Study of the Use of Shared Workspaces by Design Teams."
J. Tang, 1989: "Listing, Drawing, and Gesturing in Design: A Study of the Use of Shared Workspaces by Design Teams."
Summary:
Greenberg talks about observational studies of shared work surfaces carried out during the late 1980s by various individuals. These studies compared and contrasted how small groups of people interact when working together and sharing work surfaces. Greenberg explains how these studies affected the way new systems were being developed at that time, and how this affected future shared workspace research.
Discussion:
Reading about these studies reminds of an ethnography. The researches studied the behavior of groups working together on paper or white-board and how they interacted with each other. Thanks to the results, they built the technology that would allow for the interaction they discovered on their studies.
Chapter 20: Taking Articulation Work Seriously
Geraldine Fitzpatrick. University of Sussex, Brighton, U.K.
K. Schmidt, and L. Bannon, 1992: "Taking CSCW Seriously: Supporting Articulation Work."
Summary:
Fitzpatrick describes how Schmidt and Bannon's work has impacted her own studies and the field of CSCW. This essay defines CSCW (computer-supported cooperative work) as "an endeavor to understand the nature and requirements of cooperative work..." Fitzpatrick states that CSCW remarks the idea that "... even social situations involve interaction and coordination 'work'."
Discussion:
This essay was heavily dependent on definitions, which I believe it made it difficult to follow. However, I do see the connection between our course with the essay, which I think is that in order to develop CSCW technology, we have to study how we deal with interaction and cooperative work in our daily lives.
Chapter 23: Video, Toys, and Beyond Being There
Brian K. Smith. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
J. Hollan and S. Stornetta, 1992: "Beyond Being There."
Chapter 23: Video, Toys, and Beyond Being There
Brian K. Smith. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
J. Hollan and S. Stornetta, 1992: "Beyond Being There."
Summary:
Smith talks about how his mother was first able to have a "being there" relationship with her granddaughter through video conferencing, while she was in chemotherapy treatments. "Being there" can be defined as a CMC used when a F2F communication is not possible to obtain. Smith talks about the paper "Beyond Being There," and how it challenged researchers to develop communication tools that would add value to F2F communication. As an example of this type of tools, Smith talks about a Lily doll, and how his mom and his daughter were able to use and enjoy together. This doll added value to the time a grandma was spending with her granddaughter ('emotional design', 'experience design').
Smith talks about how his mother was first able to have a "being there" relationship with her granddaughter through video conferencing, while she was in chemotherapy treatments. "Being there" can be defined as a CMC used when a F2F communication is not possible to obtain. Smith talks about the paper "Beyond Being There," and how it challenged researchers to develop communication tools that would add value to F2F communication. As an example of this type of tools, Smith talks about a Lily doll, and how his mom and his daughter were able to use and enjoy together. This doll added value to the time a grandma was spending with her granddaughter ('emotional design', 'experience design').
Discussion:
I want to start by saying that this was a really emotional essay, I really enjoyed reading about Smith's story. Last semester, in my ethics class, we did much work on analyzing the impact that Facebook has over real friendships, whether it was a positive or negative effect. And now with this essay, I realize the importance of expanding our technologies to enhance human relationships and communication.
I want to start by saying that this was a really emotional essay, I really enjoyed reading about Smith's story. Last semester, in my ethics class, we did much work on analyzing the impact that Facebook has over real friendships, whether it was a positive or negative effect. And now with this essay, I realize the importance of expanding our technologies to enhance human relationships and communication.
No comments:
Post a Comment