Book Reading #6: Coming of Age in Samoa

Reference:
Coming of Age in Samoa
Margaret Mead
1928 Harper Perennial

Chapter 2: A Day in Samoa

Summary:

 Mead describes the events of a typical day in Samoan society.  In the mornings people prepare for their daily tasks.  The men the set out to fish or harvest crops, while the women tend to the children and see to local chores.  Activity slows around noon, when the day is hottest.  In the evening, when everyone has returned/woken, the evening meal is held.  Afterwards, people break off into various groups to socialize, play, sleep, or plan for the next day.  Finally the village sleeps and the cycle is set to repeat again.

Discussion:

I drew some parallels between Samoan culture and different world cultures that I found interesting.  For example, sleeping during the hottest part of the day is common in many cultures (though sadly, and inexplicable, not in Texas).  In addition, I found that the Samoan evening meal was similar to gatherings of my extended family, with the patriarch/matriarch going first, followed by their children, and ending up with me somewhere in the back.

Appendix II: Methodology of this Survey

Summary:

This appendix delves into the methodology used in the study of the Samoan girls.  The researcher tried to be as comprehensive as possible in gathering data, but admits that the data is lacking in many areas and cannot necissarily provide an accurate depiction of Samoan culture. 

Discussion:

It is unfortunate that more accurate data was unobtainable at the time, but based on the descriptions provided I don't know what else could have been done.  If Mead had spent many more months on Samoa and visited many more villages the data would certainly be more comprehensive, but I assume this would have been an unrealistic approach for Mead.

Appendix V: Materials Upon Which the Analysis is Based

Summary:

Mead lays out how the girls were seperated into groups, what the structure of each girls family was like, and what kinds of tests and questions were given to the girls.  Detailed charts are provided on various sexual aspects of the post-pubescent girls and on the family structure of all of the subjects. 

Discussion:

I found the make-shift intelligence test that Mead produced to be interesting, though I'm not sure if I agree with all of her chosen categories.  Granted, in this section the specifics of each test is not given in detail.  Also of interest was the fact that the older girls engaged in far more homosexual activity than heterosexual.  I'm guessing this will be covered more in-depth in one of the chapters, but this seems to suggest that, at least for young adults, heterosuxal relations are looked down on far more than homosexual ones.

Book Reading #5: The Design of Everyday Things - Chapter 2

Reference:
The Design of Everyday Things
Donald A. Norman
Basic Books 1988

Summary:
When people make errors while using unintuitive devices, they tend to blame themselves rather than the device.  As a result, flaws with the design of a product will often go unreported, since the user isn't likely to file a complaint.  In addition, people will often mistake correlation for causation when experiencing errors with a product.  To help reduce these avoidable errors, Norman suggests using the seven stages of an action as an effective design principle.

Discussion:
Norman gets it right again.  I have had more than one experience when I've been thwarted by a seeming simple product.  For example, last semester I was giving a presentation on my professor's Apple laptop.  I've always been a PC user, so when the presentation was over I found that the mousepad on the Apple, when combined with the fatigue of the all nighter I had just pulled to finish the presentation, rendered me unable to close the program.  I eventually figured out that I had been using the wrong area of the mousepad, but as Apple mouses have only one button, I was unable to comprehend my error until it was too late.

Paper Reading #3: Experience in Social Affective Applications: Methodologies and Case Study

Comments:

Reference:

Experience in Social Affective Applications: Methodologies and Case Study

P. Andre, A. Dix, R. White, M. SchraefelCHI 2010

Summary:

This paper discusses the concept that CHI can be used in social networking to convey the physical and emotional well-being of the user.  To this end, the authors of the paper created Healthii, "a social networking tool for conveying well-being."  This tool enables research into how such an application might be utilized and if it is perceived as valuable.  Healthii uses four seperate areas that the user can employ (busy, enjoyment, stress, and health).  In addition, each of these categories can be set to one of three values (not, quite, and very).  The user's well-being status can then be represented via avatar or numeric code.  While this design limits how expressive the user can be, it maintains ease of use and group comprehension.

The long-term goal of Healthii is to enhance quality of life.  Before this can occur, however, it must be determined if the approach used in Healthii is utilized and valued, and if so, in what ways the utility and value are experienced.  In making this assessment, the researchers selected ten of their peers and asked them to use Healthii for five weeks.  Each week, they would meet as a group and discuss how the tool was being used.  The researchers would take suggestions on how to improve the functionality or the interface.  In their  evaluation, the researchers considered how the usage of Healthii personnally affected participants, how its use affected perception towards other users, how to optimize user experience, discussion between participants, and a lengthy evaluation timespan to ensure an in-depth discussion. 

The methodology the researchers used was not impervious to criticism.  Some complaints against the study were that refining the design during the trial undermined the scientific process, and that the designers were already familiar with the group participants.  The researchers argue that their methods were geared toward optimizing the experience for participants, and that they would have been limited by only observing and monitoring the use of the application.  However, the researcher stressed that their methods were tailored for this particular application, and should not necissarily be used for other social applications.

Discussion:

The concept of a well-being social network is an interesting one.  Based on the general design described, it seems like it would be easy to keep friends and family members updated on your current physical and emotional state (though the Twitter interface is much less intuitive, consisting of a string of numeric digits).  I have to wonder though if this could lead to some level of narcissism amoung its users.  As it is, I don't think much of constantly giving the world a play-by-play of my activities.  The world doesn't need to know if I'm drinking coffee or eating lunch.  So I ask, is it good for a person to tell everyone how they're feeling every fifteen minutes?  I don't necissarily have the answer, but if nothing else it is something to ponder.

Ethnography Ideas

1) Determine how users of different age groups primarily utilize their computer.

2) Observe how many people at a grocery store buy a product after receiving a free sample.

3) Observe how many people, after purchasing a product online, will purchase a related product that the website recommends.

Paper Reading #2: Interaction Design in the University: Designing Disciplinary Interactions

Comments:
http://jaiachi.blogspot.com/
http://shennessy11.blogspot.com/

Reference:
Interaction Design in the University: Designing Disciplinary Interactions
Gale Moore, Danielle Lottridge
CHI EA '10

Summary:
This paper covers a fairly new field called Interaction Design (ID) and how it may be applied to the third paradigm of HCI.  The three paradigms of HCI are defined in the paper of the same name as follows:  engineering and human factors, cognitive science, and the phenomenological matrix.  The Three Paradigms of HCI claims that the first two have been thoroughly explored by the HCI field.  This paper explores how research into the third paradigm, the phenomenological matrix, may be aided through ID.  To this end, the paper explores the three classes of disciplinary interactions.
The three types of disciplinary interactions are multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary.  In a multidisciplinary environment, two disciplines work on a common problem, then go their seperate ways when finished.  Interdisciplinarity results when two disciplines combine to form a new discipline or field of research, like how biology and chemistry formed biochemistry.  Transdisciplinarity results when different disciplines join together to define a problem in the context of the application.  For example, if the technology were available, should a car be able to track the occupant's emotions in order to take actions preventing road rage?  If so, what's the best way to implement it?  With enough different disciplines looking at the problem from several directions, it becomes evident that there is no 'correct' solution, but the best solution for the context of the problem can be found.
The paper then delves into university policies that hamper study in this area.  For example, tenure for a professor partially depends on how many of the professor's papers have been published in important journals for their field.  If the professor attempts to publish papers on a new discipline, it is quite possible that it will only be accepted by a journal in another field, hurting the professor's chance at tenure.  In a traditional university, the authors argue, it is unclear as to how forms of interdisciplinary engagement and research can be accommodated.

Discussion:
To be perfectly honest, this was a boring paper.  In the spirit of fairness, I admit that it would be difficult for anyone to make a paper on "Designing Disciplinary Interactions" riviting.  In all seriousness, though, it seems to me that the point this paper pushes is an example of trying to force something that happens naturally.  To follow the biochemistry example, I would imagine that at some point a biologist said to a chemist "Hey, I study the things that make up life, you study the things that make up things, let's see what we have in common!"  From the sound of this paper, however, the authors would have various disciplines come together under the consent and watchful eye of some professor.  Typically this would not be a problem, but I can forsee situations where electrical engineers and poultry scientists are required to create some new field.  An unlikely scenario to be sure, but stranger things have happened in this world.  If, however, the authors believe that this ID field should merely make suggestions to other fields, that would certainly be acceptable.  Still, in general I think things should simply be allowed to run their course naturally.

Biology + Physics = Biophysics

Book Reading #3: HCI Remixed Microblogs

Reference:
HCI Remixed: Reflections on Works that have Influenced the HCI Community
Edited by Thomas Erickson and David W. McDonald
2008 Massachusetts Instutute of Technology

Chapter 1: My Vision Isn't My Vision: Making a Career out of Getting Back to Where I Started

Summary:
This chapter is about a musician who in 1971 began his career in computer assisted music composition.  His main point is that despite the fact that he was not the most technical person, he was able to easily understand and use the system he worked with.

Discussion:
The Author has a point, but I suspect that the system he used in 1971 was limited by the hardware it ran on, and was therefore simpler than most contemporary music composition programs.  As a system gains features and functionality, it will almost necissarily become more complex to use.

Chapter 4: Drawing on SketchPad: Reflections on Computer Science and HCI

Summary:
In this chapter the author stresses the importance of keeping the fields of Computer Science and CHI together.  He argues that the CS field has advanced due to the improvements made in facilitating interaction between humans and computers.

Discussion:
I agree with the author's assessment.  If a programmer has to think about how a system might be used, then they are more likely to design an intiutive system that is easy to pick up.

Chapter 5: The Mouse, the Demo, and the Big Idea

Summary:
In this chapter the author focuses on how important product demonstrations can be.  The first demo of the computer mouse in the 1960s got the author excited in computers again and showed innovation in a field that was focused on vastly different areas.

Discussion:

Chapter 18: Observing Collaboration: Group-Centered Design

Summary:
In this chapter, the author discussed how groups who share a workspace behave and interact, and how these interactions could could still be realized in situations where not all group members are present through a computing environment. 

Discussion:
Line in ethnography, the research that went into the studies that the author discusses observed the behavior of how groups might interact with a white-board or on a sheet of paper.  These observations were then able to be applied to new technology so that groups could interact the same way even when seperated by large distances.

Chapter 20: Taking Articulation Work Seriously

Summary:
The author discusses the importance of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW).  CSCW is an attempt to understand the requirements involved with cooperative work and the interaction and coordination involved with social interactions.
Discussion:
Much like the previous chapter, this one concerns how observations of cooperative work can be applied to CSCW technology.

Chapter 23: Video, Toys, and Beyond Being There

Summary:
The author discusses how even though modern technology enables us to talk to and see people on the other side of the world in real time, such methods of communication are not the same as "being there."  The author craves a type of communication technology that not only matches face-to-face interactions, but goes "beyond being there."

Discussion:
While I support improvements in communication tech, I am reluctant to agree that such communication will advance to a point that it is "beyond being there."  People have evolved as social animals entrenched in face-to-face interaction, and I doubt that it will be replaced anytime soon.

Chapter 24: A Simulated Listening Typewriter: John Gould Plays Wizard of Oz

Summary:

This chapter covers the advent of speech recognition interfaces.  In the described research, individuals with varying dictation experience were studied to determine how they would react and adapt to a speech recognition program.

Discussion:

 As is stated in the article, a larger vocabulary leads to more speech recognition problems.  As typing is nearly universal in modern society, for the time being speech recognition programs are best suited to specialized work (such as commercial answering services) and general purpose work should remain in the domain of the keyboard.

Chapter 25: Seeing the Hole in Space

Summary:

This chapter covered an art project called the "Hole in Space."  The project entailed a video/audio recording device on the east coast transmitting and displaying the image in a west coast store-front, and vice versa.  The purpose of this project was to utilize human relations as an art medium.

Discussion:

With our modern telecommunications and the internet, it is a trivial thing to speak to and view someone on the other side of the planet.  Still, the minds behind the "Hole in Space" certainly helped revolutionize human interactions.

Chapter 26: Edward Tufte's 1 + 1 = 3

Summary:
This chapter discusses how when multiple similar options are given to people, a split second of processing is required before making a choice.  Therefore, when designing everyday objects, such as the open/close buttons in an elevator, there should be enough of a distinction between the two options so that the user does not make an error when selecting their choice.  The less clutter in a product's design, the easier it will be to use.

Discussion:

While I am a big supporter of letting people make their own choices, the author makes a compelling argument for situations where removal of functionality would be acceptable.  If a feature has very limited and ultimately pointless utility, does it need to remain on a product?

Chapter 27: Typographic Space: A Fusion of Design and Technology

Summary:

This chapter looks into the field of kinetic typography.  In this specialization, a display is used to generate text in such a way that it conveys the pitch, loudness, tempo, inflection, and emotional content of the material. 

Discussion:

Kinetic typography hold some interesting possibilities for the future.  One of the common complaints about typewritten text is that it can be difficult for the reader to understand the material in the author's intended context.  This technology could serve to bridge that gap.

Chapter 28: Making Sense of Sense Making

Summary:

This chapter deals with two arguments made by A. Kidd; that computers are a (mostly useless) memory prostheses, and that they lack support in managing new information, or sense making.  Kidd holds that as a computor typically has a file-based architecture, it is difficult to arrange the data so that it has a deeper meaning.  While AI could be employed to assist with this task, Kidd believes that it will ultimately be up to the user.

Discussion:

I think the claim that computers act as a useless memory prostheses is boarderline absurd.  One might as well say that books are a useless data repository because we have perfectly good papyrus we could use.  To go further, who needs papyrus when we have clay tablets, and who needs tablets when cave walls are available?  On the other hand, she has a point in saying that computer lack in the ability to process working information.

Chapter 34: Revisiting and Ethnocritical Approach to HCI: Verbal Privilege and Translation

Summary:

This chapter pertains to how the HCI worker must act as a bridge between the users and the developers of a system.  The user is in a position of limited power, so the HCI worker needs to convey the wants and needs of said user to the developers while still remaining in whatever contraints the system requires.

Discussion:
There needs to be a better way of conveying user feedback to the developers of a product.  As it stands, people are usually more apt to make their dissatisfaction heard than they are their contentment, so the developers end up with a lopsided view that could lead to them altering a feature that the majority of users were happy with.

Reading #9 "There's methodology in the madness: toward critical HCI ethnography"

Comments:
http://zmhenkel-chi2010.blogspot.com/2011/01/blog-1-chi-paper-tbd.html?showComment=1295547876887#c4088712809667355413

Reference:
There's Methodology in the madness: toward critical HCI ethnography
Amanda M. Williams, Lilly Irani
CHI EA '10

Summary:
This paper seeks to improve methods of CHI design and evaluation by identifying some of the challenges present in diverse environments.  To give an ethnographic example, researchers would often find that their experiments had to be modified when they discovered the expected boundaries of a field site were not entirely accurate.  The same can be applied to CHI.  Observations must take place in order to know how an individual might use a system to prevent incorrect assumptions.  Furthermore, it is the view of the authors that improvisation is an inevitable part of design research in unfamiliar settings.  This approach allows researchers to follow individuals and make meaningful insights into how they use technology.
Discussion:
I too believe that observation is a critical part of good design.  There are too many products that are now designed primarily in a computer without any practical testing.  For example, this method can produce cars whose components under the hood fit together with jigsaw-like snugness, yet are infuriatingly difficult to repair when an out of reach component breaks down.  Too often, the best intentions of product designers go awry, so it is better for both the designer and user to practically observe how a new technology might be used.

Chinese Room

Comments
http://zmhenkel-chi2010.blogspot.com/2011/01/chinese-room-blog.html?showComment=1295548113284#c957960979429859768

Reference
Minds, Brains, and Programs
John R. Searle

Summary
In this publication, Dr. Searle differentiates between strong and weak AI (Artificial Intelligence).  The concept of weak AI stems from the theory that a machine can be programmed with enough sophistication that it can mimic, but not attain, intelligence.  Strong AI, on the other hand, is the concept that a machine would not stop at mimicking intelligence, but could realize it.  The Chinese Room Argument is as follows: Searle imagines being in a room and being given sets of Chinese characters.  He must manually execute a program that simulates how a native Chinese speaker would act.  He doesn't understand a word of Chinese, but is able to create meaningful replies to the symbols by executing the program.  He argues that programs, even those that behave intelligently, are insufficient for actually behaving like a mind.  It may be able to solve a problem, but there is still a lack of understanding.  He argues that a machine could think, provided the machine is a brain or something with the same "casual powers."  Otherwise, it is just executing a series of instructions without real comprehension.
Discussion
In the Turing test, a person communicates with someone else by means of sliding communications under a door.  The individual does not know if a person or a machine is on the other side of the door.  Turing claims that if the tester is unable to determine if they are communicating with a machine or a person, then it has passed the test and can be called intelligent.  Searle, however, seems to be much stricter in his definition of intelligence.  In my view, weak AI is an inevitability.  It is only a matter of time before we can construct machines that act intelligent.  The real question is at what point does the crossover from weak to strong AI occur?  Does the burdon of proof lie on the machine, or will there be a predetermined set of guidelines to define intelligence?  I don't know the answer, but the moral and ethical implications could be severe.

On Computers

 Comments
http://zmhenkel-chi2010.blogspot.com/2011/01/on-computers.html?showComment=1295547566586#c7064573085711736635


Reference
 The Complete Works of Aristotle
 Chapter: "On Plants"
 Edited by Jonathan Barnes
 Princeton University Press

Summary
Attributed to Aristotle, this composition is written on, unsurprisingly, plants.  In the first book, the author begins by noting the signs of life in plants and reaches the conclusion that since they live, they must have some fragment of a soul.  After comparing the similarities and differences between plants and animals, he turns his attention to the differences and similarities between different types of plants.  He compares their size, shape, scents, flowers, colors, environments, fruits, seeds, textures, roots, juices, and a host of other characteristics at length.  The second book starts by examining the componants and elements that go into making a plant.  He describes the complexity of plants at length, and how they grow in different settings.  He observes that plants and animals need the same things in order to survive, and concludes that plants must indeed live.

Discussion
Aristotle seems to be attempting to answer the age old question: what defines something as living?  He obviously believes that plants are alive, and might even harbor something of a soul.  So is a computer all that different?  They require energy, they function better in some environments than others, their vital componants require protection from the elements; it seems like the main thing missing is the ability to reproduce (though we could technically program them to do that).  That being said, it is still a machine.  It has needs for sure, but the concept of wants is foreign to it.  It does whatever it is programmed to do at the whim of the user.  However, the day will likely come when the sophistication of hardware and software is advanced enough that a computer will ask "Why?"  When that day comes, I will be willing to upgrade computers from machines to beings.

Microblogs for Coming of Age in Samoa

Reference Information:

Coming of Age in Samoa

by Margaret Mead

1928 (1971) Harper Perennial

Chapter 1: Introduction

Summary

In this chapter, the author grapples with being unable to scientifically study in a controlled environment how variables in society affect individuals.  With controlled environments out of the question, she decides to see how people develop socially in a culture vastly different than her own.

Discussion

I think that the multitude of worldviews in society stem in part from being unable to study a society in a controlled environment.  Everyone has different experiences while growing, so it's no surprise that everyone has a different opinion on how they turned out the way they did.  If Samoan society in the 1920s was as uniform as the author suggests, it will be interesting to see how uniform the experiences of the girls were.

1920s Indiana

1920s Samoa

Microblogs for The Design of Everyday Things

Reference:
The Design of Everyday Things
by Donald Norman
2002 Basic Books

Chapter 1: The Psychopathology of Everyday Things

Summary

In this chapter, the author laments how unintuitive many simple, everyday objects have become.  He notes how many people often are unable to use or are unaware of the existance of the useful features of their gadgets.  He concludes by giving examples that intuitively mapped and visible controls, such as the controls for a vehicle, are far easier to learn and use than arbitrarily mapped controls, as might be found in a typical office telephone.

Discussion

Mr. Norman is right on the money with this chapter.  I can't count how many classes I've attended where the lecture stalled while the instructor had to wait for tech support.  Rule of thumb: never buy a gadget that is smaller than the instruction manual.

Poor design can lead to user error

Introductory Blog (Blog #0)



Me

Email: pfrith87@gmail.com

Classification: 5th year senior

Reason for taking this class: I am taking this class to learn more about the possibilities and limitations of CHI.  As computers and the systems that run on them become more sophisticated, the ease of access will become ever more critical.

Experience: Knowledge of many programming languages, experience in graphics, AI and (soon) robotics.

10 years from now: I plan to be programming in exchange for money.  In addition, I will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of writing this blog.

Next biggest technilogical advance: I have a feeling nanotechnology is going to be big.

Time travel: Nikola Tesla.  He was years ahead of his time, his electricity system enabled us to live in the greatest society this world has seen, and the man invented an earthquake machine.  What's not to like?

Favorite style of moustache: I've actually grown rather attached to the full beard...

Fluent in any language: I would like to be fluent in Spanish, since I would like to stay in Texas after graduating. 

Interesting fact: My family moved to Indonesia when I was 2 years old because of my father's work, and we didn't move back until I was 5.