Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!rex!ames!uhccux!munnari.oz.au!brolga!uqcspe!cs.uq.oz.au!brendan From: brendan@cs.uq.oz.au (Brendan Mahony) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: the interface for the rest of us? Message-ID: <1176@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> Date: 6 May 91 00:52:27 GMT References: <1991May4.172440.1851@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> <9105042144.AA22495@horse.ee.lbl.gov> Sender: news@cs.uq.oz.au Reply-To: brendan@cs.uq.oz.au Lines: 44 In <9105042144.AA22495@horse.ee.lbl.gov> torek@HORSE.EE.LBL.GOV (Chris Torek) writes: >It all boils down to the fact that using an existing object as a >reference model makes it easier to `think about' the new technology, >but it also acts as a trap: it keeps people from considering >alternatives. Is this a warning about using the "pen and paper" analog or the "typewriter" keyboard analog? In essence the computer does not have any "nature" reference model. It is simply a device for storing and manipulating information. The data is the thing that has a natural reference model. How you want to relate to a computer will depend on what sort of information you store in it. Whether you prefer a WYSIWYG text editor or a page makeup language depends on whether you are interested in the content of the document or the way in which it is typeset. No-one can deny that the typewriter keyboard is efficient at encoding large amounts of "textual" information. Whether it is right for your particular application depends on whether your information is essentially textual (computer control commands are not) and on whether you have need of rapid information flows. Even if you fulfill these criteria it is likely that voice recognition is a more useful interface than the keyboard. PS If you think computer control is essentially textual try imagining yourself saying -h -h -J -I to a voice recognition system (or a human secretary). Pen based interfaces will be very useful to people who handle a low volume of textual information or information that is essentially graphical in nature or need a non-invasive interface. An effective pen interface would be infinitely preferrable to a mouse interface for manipulating screen objects in a GUI. -- Brendan Mahony | brendan@batserver.cs.uq.oz Department of Computer Science | heretic: someone who disgrees with you University of Queensland | about something neither of you knows Australia | anything about.