Re: [cfgeeks] Avatar Interfaces> Avatar interfaces...
> I suspect that there will be a further divergence of the casual vs
> professional user interfaces - obviously, a computer that is capable
> of interfacing as if it were another person is much more useful to
> the general populace than, say, one which uses a strictly command-line
> interface.
Geek-type power users will often prefer the command-line interface, but
many others the virtual-person. It's a personality thing and I suppose
we need to program interfaces for a broader populace than geeks like us
who grew up at the command-line. Yes?
Perhaps it is a bit of the right-brain vs left-brain, artistic vs engineer,
or whatever description you prefer that drives different interfaces towards
acceptance.
I have always hated the Mac interface because it assumes that the user is a
moron ... and because when you do get behind it and try to tinker the way
one may do in the PC world it constantly crashes. I remember a few years back
calling Apple Tech Support several times and the answer was always "We don't
really know why but if you reload the packages in a different order that
sometimes works." VooDoo! Yuck.
Then again there are times when I'd like to walk into a room, say "Good Morning
Avatar" and have the face pop up on the screen with a smile and a gentle voice,
responding "Good morning." It would also be interesting to ask for the weather
and have the reply be a scowl if it is not the weather I'd prefer, and a smile
if it is ... and then ask "Would you like to hear the details?" Not often would
I necessarily prefer this but the imagery is somehow amusing!
Yes, I tend to prefer the control of the mouse and keyboard interface, but were
I in a big hurry I may just want my computer to interact verbally and perhaps
even visually ... so I never have to break stride from the bed to the shower to
the breakfast table to the car and I get all of the answers and send off all
of the quick messages that I want.
> For those of us that still find computers far easier to interface with
> than humans, an Avatar interface seems abominable. If I wanted to talk
> to real people, I would - but the truth is, I'd MUCH prefer to get someone's
> voicemail or visit their website than to actually talk to them personally,
> especially when I'm just trying to get information or submit my own - the
> bulk of modern interactions.
Understood ... but then you don't think that you could create an Avatar that
would sound and act the way you'd prefer people to sound and act?
> To me, overly verbose voicemail is too tedious as well.
No reason an avatar need be verbiose, just friendly ... or rude if that is
what you prefer!
> Do I think AnaNova is a digital hottie? Yeah. Do I want to get my news from her?
Perhaps the current implementations of avatar interfaces are inefficiently presented? We can do better, no?
> The observation from Andromeda, though, that "humans react more completely with
> human-like interfaces than non-human" - I feel like contesting. Sure we do - but
> is "completeness of reaction" an essential component of, say, database access?
It may be if the non-geek person is intimidated by other interfaces but feels comfortable asking a virtual-person
to help them locate and analyze data. (Sort of lke the difference between doing a book search on a computer terminal
in the Library or just asking a Librarian.) It may be the difference between a huge percentage of people actually
using (and paying for) access to many potentiall valuable databases and ecommerce sites (and I am talking about
many business people who dislike current computer interfaces, as well as consumers).
> On the whole, I'd say that for many business purposes the efficiency gained
> from using computers is directly proportional to the amount we are able to
> eliminate "completeness of reaction" and replace it with raw accessibility of data.
It is, if you have a geek-person readily available whenever you want to access that data, but when the geek-person
has gone home ... or suddenly quit for a higher paying job with the competition then what?
> This raises an interesting thought, though, and I may work on it - I have a new
> website I've been putting off doing: maybe I'll build the site around an Avatar
> interface - it's an ecommerce portal, which just might find a 'living' interactive
> Avatar salesperson to be the ideal thing. "I'm looking for a new pair of shoes."
> or "I need something red to go with my purse" might be the ideal way of interacting
> with an online store. Parse the sentence, extract a few key words, match them up,
> and have the Avatar 'lead' you through the selections - timed wait states, semi-random
> 'suggestions' and so forth.
> Eddie
One smile from an Avatar (chosen when first entering the site by the ecommerce customer based on their subjective
application of "attractiveness") and a sale may be made somewhere during their "shopping" that otherwise may not.
I'd sure love to see the Web site you are planning ... and to understand how you make it work ... when you are done.
Please tell me it will be Linux-based? :-)
Doc
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