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From: cash@convex.com (Peter Cash)
Newsgroups: alt.hypertext,comp.cog-eng,comp.graphics,comp.multimedia,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Images vs. Text
Message-ID: <1991Apr02.235121.17834@convex.com>
Date: 2 Apr 91 23:51:21 GMT
References: <10292@pitt.UUCP> <1991Apr2.180348.19733@smsc.sony.com>
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In article <1991Apr2.180348.19733@smsc.sony.com> dce@smsc.sony.com (David Elliott) writes:
>
>In article <10292@pitt.UUCP>, grefen@sun14.cs.pitt.edu (Gregory Grefenstette) writes:
>|> I'm doing work on hypertext visual interfaces and I
>|> would like to be able to prove what seems evident to me,
>|> that is,  that people can scan information presented
>|> in a visual image-based form FASTER than in a plain
>|> textual form.

>It depends on the type of information and the space allowed to display
>the information.

>For example, it's much slower for me to decipher a pallette of icons
>that correspond to a set of operations than it is for me to decipher a
>text menu in the same space.

Yes, the claim that pictures are always better than words seems to be far
from self-evident to me. I suspect that there's more hypertext ideology
than science to this particular claim. That isn't to say that a picture in
the right place can't often make things much clearer than reams of text;
but it's silly to expect pictures to replace words in communicating complex
information. If that were the case, then we wouldn't have to wait for
hypertext to initiate this superior form of communication--if picture books
are better than books with words, then none of our books would have words
in them. 

Even for describing simple tasks, words can be essential. The other day, I
tried to reload the stapler built into my Xerox machine.  Instead of
directions, I found a bunch of icons that were supposed to tell me how to
do it. I stood there for several minutes trying to figure these things out,
then gave up and walked to another xerox machine. A few words, like "press
here" would have been enormously helpful.


--
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             |      Die Welt ist alles, was Zerfall ist.     |
Peter Cash   |       (apologies to Ludwig Wittgenstein)      |cash@convex.com
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