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Article

The computer science of everyday things

Author:

Harold ThimblebyAuthors Info & Claims

AUIC '01: Proceedings of the 2nd Australasian conference on User interface

Pages 3 - 12

Published: 25 January 2001 Publication History

Abstract

Technology is fashionable, wonderful and getting better; Moore's Law predicts substantial, sustained improvement. Yet the usability of 'everyday things' low (video recorders being a notorious example). It seems to follow that improvements must be sought in areas outside technology, such as human factors. But a premise is wrong: in fact, the technology --- the embedded computer science --- is appalling!Obsolescence, a symptom of Moore's Law, hides flawed design: poor products are replaced rather than fixed. The poor quality of the computer science of everyday things is eclipsed by the hope for fixing today's problems with tomorrow's consumption.This paper reviews Moore's Law and the usability everyday things; it shows that professional computer science can improve usability with ease. Improvement will be essential when ethical and environmental issues become, as they will, unavoidable design criteria.

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Cited By

Beale RBordbar B(2011)Pattern tool support to guide interface designProceedings of the 13th IFIP TC 13 international conference on Human-computer interaction - Volume Part II10.5555/2042118.2042153(359-375)Online publication date: 5-Sep-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2042118.2042153
Böhm PSchneidermeier TWolff C(2011)Smart solProceedings of the 2nd international conference on Human centered design10.5555/2021672.2021696(187-196)Online publication date: 9-Jul-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2021672.2021696
Beale R(2005)Rise up, revolt!Interactions10.1145/1082369.108239612:5(42-44)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2005
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1082369.1082396
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Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

AUIC '01: Proceedings of the 2nd Australasian conference on User interface

January 2001

129 pages

ISBN:076950969X

Program Chairs:
Paul Calder
Flinders University
,
Michael Rees
Bond University

Copyright © Copyright (c) 2001 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. All rights reserved.

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ACM: Association for Computing Machinery

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IEEE Computer Society

United States

Publication History

Published: 25 January 2001

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AUIC '01

Sponsor:

ACM

AUIC '01: User interface

January 29 - February 1, 2001

Queensland, Australia

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Overall Acceptance Rate 40 of 100 submissions, 40%

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Cited By

Beale RBordbar B(2011)Pattern tool support to guide interface designProceedings of the 13th IFIP TC 13 international conference on Human-computer interaction - Volume Part II10.5555/2042118.2042153(359-375)Online publication date: 5-Sep-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2042118.2042153
Böhm PSchneidermeier TWolff C(2011)Smart solProceedings of the 2nd international conference on Human centered design10.5555/2021672.2021696(187-196)Online publication date: 9-Jul-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2021672.2021696
Beale R(2005)Rise up, revolt!Interactions10.1145/1082369.108239612:5(42-44)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2005
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1082369.1082396
Fleming S(2003)The leapfrog effectManaging globally with information technology10.5555/954146.954157(127-139)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2003
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/954146.954157

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