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From: dykimber@phoenix.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.tech
Subject: Re: Just a test
Message-ID: <312@phoenix.PRINCETON.EDU>
Date: Tue, 19-May-87 00:12:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: phoenix.312
Posted: Tue May 19 00:12:07 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 20-May-87 01:18:51 EDT
References: <7585@orchid.UUCP> <3439@sunybcs.UUCP> <1767@kitty.UUCP>
Reply-To: dykimber@phoenix.UUCP (Dan Kimberg)
Distribution: sci
Organization: Princeton Univ. Computing and Information Technology
Lines: 32
Keywords: computers fright

In article <1767@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes:
>	I am interested in human factors in computer systems design, since
>some of my organization's work involves the design of industrial and chemical
>process control systems, with such systems often being operated by persons
>with "limited computer literacy".  I see very little discussion of this topic
>on the Net, and what does appear seems to be scattered among various news
>groups.
>	Example problem: How does one design a process control human interface
>program for use by a 55 year old man who barely finished high school, still
>refers to a computer as an "electronic brain", never used even a typewriter
>in his whole life, is all thumbs, and thinks a menu is something to be found
>in a restaurant?  Don't laugh; some of our systems are used by this kind of
>person!

I'll second that motion for starting a discussion here - it's just too enticing
a newsgroup name to go unused.  I'm just a lowly undergraduate, but I still have
a few opinions on subjects such as this.  My first reaction to your example
problem is to think in terms of the iconic interfaces that are so popular.
It would seem that it's much easier for people to adapt to a system that makes
some steps towards adapting to them, i.e. emulating what they already know.  So,
in the case of this process control problem [and I'm speaking from ignorance -
I'd be interested in a sample domain], pretty pictures and a simplified input
device would be the way to go.  But I think there are some people you're never
going to get to work well with a computer until the computer itself is
relegated to the status of a "black box," i.e. something hidden under a table
which "somehow does xxxxxx."  I'm reminded of the case of a woman who taught
history at my high school [this was five years ago], who walked into a room
in which there were two Apple II+'s.  Upon realizing that there were computers
in the room [a small office], she shrunk back into the door and refused to
cross the room when we asked her if she wanted a demo.  Well, enough of this
posting...
                                                -Dan