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From: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley)
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Reply to "Are we designing for the users...?"
Message-ID: <2049@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Aug-83 13:31:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.2049
Posted: Mon Aug 22 13:31:24 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Aug-83 17:17:13 EDT
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 26

There are at least two problems that cog-eng can address, the software crisis
(by designing tools for programmers that allow them to better construct and
understand complicated software) and making computers usable by novices (by
designing systems that lead complete novices to proficiency in simple domains
such as letter writing and home budget keeping).

The two problems are intuitively very different, with experts working in a
rather open-ended domain in the first, and novices-becoming-experts in a
limited domain in the second.  But those "novices" are often highly skilled
professionals.  And the experts have the same basic genetic structures as
the novices.  I think that there are so many questions and assumptions to be
resolved that it is too early to label research as SOLELY "novice" or "expert"
oriented.

However, specific projects WILL deal with either simple domains or complicated
domains such as programming.  On the basis of social need, I'd say study of
novices is pretty important to the spread of computers.  But providing better
software tools is important for the construction of software, especially
life-critical software (e.g. air traffic control, reactor control).  My
impression is that work with novices is far more prevalent, in no small part
due to the fact that novices are far more prevalent than experts.  But who's
to say which area is ultimately more important?

peter rowley,  University of Toronto Department of C.S., Ontario Canada M5S 1A4
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