Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!adm!bzs@bu-cs.bu.EDU
From: bzs@bu-cs.bu.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Request for human interface design anecdotes
Message-ID: <10579@brl-adm.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 29-Nov-87 18:38:23 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-adm.10579
Posted: Sun Nov 29 18:38:23 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Dec-87 21:05:43 EST
Sender: news@brl-adm.ARPA
Lines: 23


Gak, this discussion comes up every few months doesn't it? And,
predictably, not one poster ever offers anything beyond the thinnest
anecdotal evidence. No research papers or even informal, controlled
studies, nothing. Just introspective, armchair psychology.

I do know that AT&T has made MegaSagans of US$'s with a user interface
that requires people to type in long strings of digits to contact
their friends and business associates.

I suppose we tend to remember the user who whines about learning the
system (and their rationalizations) more than the silent masses who
just seem to be able to remember that "cat" is short for "caterwaul",
as in "caterwaul that file for me" (and, of course, the -v means
caterwaul less vigoroso, it's all very clear if you grok the aural
traditions involved.)

I'm not even completely convinced that the goal of a computer
interface design is to make it easy for any idiot to use the system
with no effort. Unless perhaps the hidden agenda is to turn every body
in site into a data entry clerk. Perhaps.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University