Re: [cfgeeks] Re: Avatar Interfaces
Computers are merely tools. The degree to which some people need their
tools to be more human-like varies ... such as an analog versus an digital
display on a meter ... or even a meter that tells you what a reading is so
that you may keep your eyes on something else.
I think the real issue is consolidation of information. How much
data do we really want?
Or, how much do we want and from where and processed how and presented how?
And then let me say goodbye to all that nonsense as soon as I don't
want it any more. Anticipatory artificial intelligence, that makes
some educated guess about what I want, is MUCH more important to
most of us than anything similar to human interface - this where
data gathering is concerned. Ten to twelve years ago, I was a Human
Factors Psych major - a lot of that dealt with interface design,
whether in laying out a car interior or creating a user interface
for a computer. Everyone talked about making the interface more
natural, and we got MacOS and Windows. MUCH more natural, but
not more human.
I think we all want FAR more customization than just deciding what
apps we want to appear where in our START or Apple Menus.
I agree. Customization is key, as is a variety of alternatives, including the human-like interface
and the command-line ... and several others in between
The real trick is making that customization, now clearly the domain
only of serious hackers, into something accessible to people whose
main concern when they install RedHat is whether or not it can play
MP3s. invading spaceships.
Here's a thought. I am flying along in my Linux version of Flight Simulator (is there such a thing?)
and then someone is trying to call me in the real world (the non-virtual world?) and instead of an
obnoxious bell a flight attendant walks up beside the virtual me and says "Captain, someone would
like to speak with you, sir." She smiles and I return the smile, pause the program, and switch my
headset to internet telephone mode and say "This is your Captain, how may I help you?" ... to
which my mother-in-law replies in a somewhat sarcastic tone "What? Lemme talk to my daughter,
please!" :-)
Ayuh! Doc
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