Microblog #4, "HCI Remixed, Chpater 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 34"

24
Summary
In this chapter, the author discusses a "simulated listening typewriter", in which John Gould used a man "behind a curtain" to evaluate what features were most desirable in a voice/word recognition system on a computer and what roles it might have. The experiment dates from 1983 and the author lauds it for its thoroughness.

Discussion
The "Wizard of Oz" technique described is a simple and efficient way to "pre-test" developing technology, and I found it quite interesting. I also felt that the author of this paper did a good job identifying the major weakness in Gould's study. That is, the proliferation of typing skills in recent years.
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25
Summary
The author, Steve Harrison of Virginia Tech, talks about a precursor project to modern conceptions of video-meditated communication. The project, Hole in Space, was done by a pair of artists named Galloway and Rabinowitz. The project consisted of large televisions and sound systems being placed on storefronts in New York and LA, each project the sight and sounds from its area to the other.

Discussion
I found it pretty funny that artists easily got the funding for such a project while the computer scientists had great difficulty with it. The idea of an almost full connection to another location at some distance made me think. I suspect the novelty would wear off fairly quickly, but the sudden change in dynamics it must have presented to passerby is interesting.
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26
Summary
Scott Jenson, who works for Google, makes observations about complexity and functionality, using the context of elevator buttons. The base is an E.R. Tufte paper from 1990 which he mostly seems just be summarizing for the audience. His argument is that we should consider carefully if functions are actually needed or simply increase complexity without adequate purpose.

Discussion
He makes a very good point, although in this specific case I agree the button needs to stay. The idae of increasing size and color coding is fine, but what's wrong with assuming literacy and labeling them OPEN DOORS and CLOSE DOORS?
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27
Summary
Jodi Forlizzi of Carnegie Mellon discusses "kinetic typography", using position and motion to communicaet additional information. The paper reads as a brief summary of a few researchers in the field followed by a similarly brief summary of some of the techniques that can be applied to the text to get the desired effects.

Discussion
The initial item described, navigating through 3d text, I am kind of skeptical of. As a means of researching means of text, sure, but text was designed to communicate information effectively in two dimensions; I think in three something considerably different would be optimal.
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28
Summary
Steve Whittaker of the University of Sheffield reexamines a paper by an A. Kidd from 1994 dealing with information storage. The argument is that simply storing information is not particularly useful, but rather recalling the information when needed, and that current system are good at the former but not the latter.

Discussion
I think some very good points are made regarding the organization of information, but I think the author's point may overshoot the mark. Modern search tools are becoming increasingly good. I will note that when I can't find something in my archives it is usually due to poor file name choice rather than poor folder choice.
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34
Summary
Michael Muller of IBM discusses the impact of a paper he read dealing with historians working between Congress and various American Indian nations in the postwar timeframe on his approach to HCI. He likens the historians' position to the relationships between users, programmers, and company executives in several ways.

Discussion
I think he's drawing parallels too strongly. I agree that there are some political consideration in going between different groups, and I can understand that epiphany coming from a source like Krupat's paper, but I think that the analogy isn't as tight as Muller thinks it is.