Summary
The author writes about B.F. Skinner, a behavioral scientist during the mid 1900s. Skinner was famous for experiments inducing animals to respond to stimuli, and a controversial figure.
Discussion
I wish the author would spend more time talking about things of substance, and less waxing poetic about Skinner's skinny dipping habits and the eye color of his daughter. I did note, however, the relationship of WoW farming to the irregular rewarding lever experiment.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Microblog #6, "Coming of Age in Samoa, Chapter 2, Appendixes II and V"
2
Summary
This chapter describes a day on Samoa, in the time frame of the writing. The description is very colorful, and written in the present tense.
Discussion
Does the present tense indicate the chapter was written by the author while present? I also noted that western culture had begun to penetrate Samoa by this time, as evidenced by the hymn singing.
II
Summary
The author describes her methodology for the study. In particular, she notes that there were only 68 girls in the three villages she was in, a mediocre sample size, and that time constraints also negatively impacted the rigor of the study.
Discussion
I do like that she spent more time on the weaknesses of her study than the strengths. A critical analysis tends to be a better sign than a sales pitch, in my estimation.
V
Summary
A statistical listing of the sixty-eight girls mentioned above. Many factors related to growing, puberty, and residence were charted, apparently partially from observation and partially from surveys.
Discussion
There is one serious flaw with her tables: it is not clearly indicated whether the " symbol indicates "no answer" or "as above". Also, I found reading "TABLE I" an uncomfortable experience; the information was a lot more personal than I wanted to know about.
Summary
This chapter describes a day on Samoa, in the time frame of the writing. The description is very colorful, and written in the present tense.
Discussion
Does the present tense indicate the chapter was written by the author while present? I also noted that western culture had begun to penetrate Samoa by this time, as evidenced by the hymn singing.
II
Summary
The author describes her methodology for the study. In particular, she notes that there were only 68 girls in the three villages she was in, a mediocre sample size, and that time constraints also negatively impacted the rigor of the study.
Discussion
I do like that she spent more time on the weaknesses of her study than the strengths. A critical analysis tends to be a better sign than a sales pitch, in my estimation.
V
Summary
A statistical listing of the sixty-eight girls mentioned above. Many factors related to growing, puberty, and residence were charted, apparently partially from observation and partially from surveys.
Discussion
There is one serious flaw with her tables: it is not clearly indicated whether the " symbol indicates "no answer" or "as above". Also, I found reading "TABLE I" an uncomfortable experience; the information was a lot more personal than I wanted to know about.
Microblog #5, "Design of Everyday Things, Chapter 2"
Summary
In this chapter, the author discusses the places and reasons people assign blame for being unable to operate devices. Prominently featured are the differences between conceptual and actual models, and the authors seven stages of executing a task.
Discussion
I find his examples more interesting than his theories and explanations. In particular, the airplane incident was a fascinating example of a series of dominoes. Most of his points about how things should be designed are the same as from the first chapter.
In this chapter, the author discusses the places and reasons people assign blame for being unable to operate devices. Prominently featured are the differences between conceptual and actual models, and the authors seven stages of executing a task.
Discussion
I find his examples more interesting than his theories and explanations. In particular, the airplane incident was a fascinating example of a series of dominoes. Most of his points about how things should be designed are the same as from the first chapter.
Paper Reading #4, Critical Point
http://detentionblockaa32.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-reading-4-hard-to-use-interfaces.html
http://vincehci.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-reading-4-cross-currents.html
Critical Point, A Composition for Cello and Computer
Roger Dannenburg, Carnegie Mellon and Tomas Laurenzo, University of the Republic, Uruguay
Presented and CHI 2010 : Media Showcase Session 1
10-15 April 2010 Atlanta, Georgia
Summary
The authors discuss a piece of software written for the computer designed to enhance the musical performance of a cello player. Critical Point is intended to expand the cellists range of available chords beyond that physically possible on just the instrument, allow new sounds and "sonic textures", and add some random elements to cause more variation in the music being played. This is all intended to be achieved while leaving the cellist in creative control.
The effects used include "combination pitch shifting with delay and feedback", the random algorithims, a vocoder, and a section involving rising and falling glissandi.
The result was performed at the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble in 2009. There are references to an animation, but it doesn't appear to be where Google can find it, if it is online at all.
The implementation was a dedicated computer low level audio processing (written in C++), a program for "software digital audio patching" in an unspecified language, and a real time scripting component in a language called Serpent. Interestingly, no discussion of future directions for the research are mentioned in the paper.
Discussion
I'd like to start this section by noting I know next to nothing about music. This paper was mostly incomprehensible to me, although unlike the last one I don't think this instance is the fault of the author in any way.
The idea of using a computer to enhance the range of options available to a performer and his instrument seems fundamentally sound to me. I can't really comment on the effects produced by this device without at least audio rather than text, which I don't have. I suspect that further advancement of this program would involve refining the algorithms involved for improved quality and possibly adding more features, although I lack the knowledge in the music area to say what they might be.
One quibble I did have with the paper was the organization of information. They talked about the results they got before they discussed what they, a break from the conventional format that I found jarring and unhelpful. The ordering of information they used is reflected in the summary section.
http://vincehci.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-reading-4-cross-currents.html
Critical Point, A Composition for Cello and Computer
Roger Dannenburg, Carnegie Mellon and Tomas Laurenzo, University of the Republic, Uruguay
Presented and CHI 2010 : Media Showcase Session 1
10-15 April 2010 Atlanta, Georgia
Summary
The authors discuss a piece of software written for the computer designed to enhance the musical performance of a cello player. Critical Point is intended to expand the cellists range of available chords beyond that physically possible on just the instrument, allow new sounds and "sonic textures", and add some random elements to cause more variation in the music being played. This is all intended to be achieved while leaving the cellist in creative control.
The effects used include "combination pitch shifting with delay and feedback", the random algorithims, a vocoder, and a section involving rising and falling glissandi.
The result was performed at the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble in 2009. There are references to an animation, but it doesn't appear to be where Google can find it, if it is online at all.
The implementation was a dedicated computer low level audio processing (written in C++), a program for "software digital audio patching" in an unspecified language, and a real time scripting component in a language called Serpent. Interestingly, no discussion of future directions for the research are mentioned in the paper.
Discussion
I'd like to start this section by noting I know next to nothing about music. This paper was mostly incomprehensible to me, although unlike the last one I don't think this instance is the fault of the author in any way.
The idea of using a computer to enhance the range of options available to a performer and his instrument seems fundamentally sound to me. I can't really comment on the effects produced by this device without at least audio rather than text, which I don't have. I suspect that further advancement of this program would involve refining the algorithms involved for improved quality and possibly adding more features, although I lack the knowledge in the music area to say what they might be.
One quibble I did have with the paper was the organization of information. They talked about the results they got before they discussed what they, a break from the conventional format that I found jarring and unhelpful. The ordering of information they used is reflected in the summary section.
This is what a cello looks like. Source: Wikipedia.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Paper Reading #3, "Grassroots heritage in the crisis context"
http://lroberts-tamuchi.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-reading-3-robotany-breeze.html
http://chi2010-cskach.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-reading-3-recognizing-shapes-and.html
"Grassroots Heritage in the Crisis Context: A Social Media Probes Approach to Studying Heritage in a Participatory Age"
Sophia B. Liu
Presented at the CHI 2010 Doctoral Consortium in Atlanta, 10-15 April 2010.
Summary
The author discusses her methods of researching the structures of grassroots heritage in the context of how it handles and disseminates knowledge about crises and catastrophes (the example used being the New York and Pentagon attacks of 2001). Some techniques of doing so are listed, followed by explaining that the primary one used was a "social media probe" and citing a paper which I presume explains exactly what that might be.
She summarizes (two paragraphs) what she has done so far. Her project had 33 participants at the time of writing, and expected to add another 10 or so. The example probe given asked the participants to choose 7 events from a 9/11 timeline and create the story they would tell about that event 50 years from now. She finishes by describing her "grassroots heritage framework" (pictured below) and a note on the contributions she expects her work to make.
Discussion
This was easily my least favorite of the three papers I have read to date for this class. Realize I am attempting to be analytical and not insulting when I say this, but she used a lot of words to say next to nothing. There seemed to be a set of quotation marks on every other line, which is a sign of both heavy usage of terms she was defining as she went and of using portions of cited works to explain concepts in her own. Neither is inherently bad, but they made this paper very difficult to read. Another item I noted along the same lines is that, while constantly telling us that "I conducted..research", "my interdisciplinary research informs studies in...", etc she never told us how she was conducting the research, aside from the one example dealing with 9/11. I think you can understand how this was frustrating to my attempts to write about her research,
I also noted that she said he research should "“open up new design spaces” by provoking “the users to consider their environment in a new way "" (Yes, I did have to quote her quotation marks). If she is researching how people handle information, why is she actively attempting to change the way they do so?
I almost feel that I must be completely misunderstanding something.
I'm not trying to say that her work isn't valuable, useful, or interesting in any way. The way people organize historical is an interesting subject. I just can't say anything about how I think her research would help or not in this area, because I can't seem to divine what it is from her paper.
http://chi2010-cskach.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-reading-3-recognizing-shapes-and.html
"Grassroots Heritage in the Crisis Context: A Social Media Probes Approach to Studying Heritage in a Participatory Age"
Sophia B. Liu
Presented at the CHI 2010 Doctoral Consortium in Atlanta, 10-15 April 2010.
Summary
The author discusses her methods of researching the structures of grassroots heritage in the context of how it handles and disseminates knowledge about crises and catastrophes (the example used being the New York and Pentagon attacks of 2001). Some techniques of doing so are listed, followed by explaining that the primary one used was a "social media probe" and citing a paper which I presume explains exactly what that might be.
She summarizes (two paragraphs) what she has done so far. Her project had 33 participants at the time of writing, and expected to add another 10 or so. The example probe given asked the participants to choose 7 events from a 9/11 timeline and create the story they would tell about that event 50 years from now. She finishes by describing her "grassroots heritage framework" (pictured below) and a note on the contributions she expects her work to make.
Discussion
This was easily my least favorite of the three papers I have read to date for this class. Realize I am attempting to be analytical and not insulting when I say this, but she used a lot of words to say next to nothing. There seemed to be a set of quotation marks on every other line, which is a sign of both heavy usage of terms she was defining as she went and of using portions of cited works to explain concepts in her own. Neither is inherently bad, but they made this paper very difficult to read. Another item I noted along the same lines is that, while constantly telling us that "I conducted..research", "my interdisciplinary research informs studies in...", etc she never told us how she was conducting the research, aside from the one example dealing with 9/11. I think you can understand how this was frustrating to my attempts to write about her research,
I also noted that she said he research should "“open up new design spaces” by provoking “the users to consider their environment in a new way "" (Yes, I did have to quote her quotation marks). If she is researching how people handle information, why is she actively attempting to change the way they do so?
I almost feel that I must be completely misunderstanding something.
I'm not trying to say that her work isn't valuable, useful, or interesting in any way. The way people organize historical is an interesting subject. I just can't say anything about how I think her research would help or not in this area, because I can't seem to divine what it is from her paper.
Source: The paper in question.
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ethnography Ideas
I'm trying to keep things of the same sort as seen in
http://tamuchi-spring2011.blogspot.com/2010/01/ethnography-topic-examples.html
and also trying to keep it related to HCI by keeping it to areas that involve interaction with computers.
1. Observe how high the rate of basic "computer literacy" is. That is, how many people are capable (or think they are capable) of basic tasks like changing the ink in their printers or plugging in cabling correctly. This would tell us whether folks are using the full capabilities of their equipment or, like the people from the Design of Everyday Things*, have just figured out how to do a few things and have made no effort to understand the rest.
2. (Note: Heavily "borrowing" from Manoj's #5) Observe how often CS students ignore the "no food in the computer lab" rule. This would give information on how much respect they have for minor regulations for the reg's own sake, and how comfortable they are with the organization of the lab system.
3. (One unrelated to computers, just for variety) Observe how the teams in the intramural sports organize themselves internally. Would give us information on how college students self-organize their voluntary activities.
*who just pick two settings on a fancy washer and nothing else, etc.
http://tamuchi-spring2011.blogspot.com/2010/01/ethnography-topic-examples.html
and also trying to keep it related to HCI by keeping it to areas that involve interaction with computers.
1. Observe how high the rate of basic "computer literacy" is. That is, how many people are capable (or think they are capable) of basic tasks like changing the ink in their printers or plugging in cabling correctly. This would tell us whether folks are using the full capabilities of their equipment or, like the people from the Design of Everyday Things*, have just figured out how to do a few things and have made no effort to understand the rest.
2. (Note: Heavily "borrowing" from Manoj's #5) Observe how often CS students ignore the "no food in the computer lab" rule. This would give information on how much respect they have for minor regulations for the reg's own sake, and how comfortable they are with the organization of the lab system.
3. (One unrelated to computers, just for variety) Observe how the teams in the intramural sports organize themselves internally. Would give us information on how college students self-organize their voluntary activities.
*who just pick two settings on a fancy washer and nothing else, etc.
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