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In pursuit of desktop evolution: User problems and practices with modern desktop systems

Authors:

Pamela Ravasio,

Sissel Guttormsen Schär,

Helmut KruegerAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), Volume 11, Issue 2

Pages 156 - 180

https://doi.org/10.1145/1005361.1005363

Published: 01 June 2004 Publication History

Abstract

This study deals with the problems users encounter in their daily work with computers and the typical practices that they employ. Sixteen daily computer users were interviewed about their habits and problems that they encountered during document classification and retrieval. For both these areas, we provide an overview of identified user practices and a citation-based analysis of the problems users encountered, including those related to the use of the screen real estate (the actual desktop). Two types of problems were identified: (1) Problems that concern the actual use of the system installed on the computer. (2) Problems that arise when people realise that they are using a system that does not allow for the desired work or organizational functions sought. We were able to show that skill continues to be an important factor with respect to the ease of using today's systems. We suggest the following necessary improvements for the evolution of personal information systems: A storage facility that represents the user's view of information; replacing pure technical file metadata with more user-friendly attributes; and introduction of annotations as a new information type.

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In pursuit of desktop evolution: User problems and practices with modern desktop systems

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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction Volume 11, Issue 2

June 2004

116 pages

ISSN:1073-0516

EISSN:1557-7325

DOI:10.1145/1005361

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2004 ACM.

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 June 2004

Published in TOCHI Volume 11, Issue 2

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Han HYu JBournet RCiorascu AMackay WBeaudouin-Lafon M(2022)Passages: Interacting with Text Across DocumentsProceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3491102.3502052(1-17)Online publication date: 29-Apr-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3491102.3502052
Uğur NÇalışkan K(2022)Time for De-clutteringComputers and Security10.1016/j.cose.2022.102751119:COnline publication date: 27-Jun-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.cose.2022.102751
Wilken RKennedy J(2021)Everyday data cultures and USB portable flash drivesInternational Journal of Cultural Studies10.1177/1367877921104791725:2(192-209)Online publication date: 19-Oct-2021
https://doi.org/10.1177/13678779211047917
Gori JHan HBeaudouin-Lafon MIqbal SMacLean KChevalier FMueller S(2020)FileWeaverProceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3379337.3415830(22-34)Online publication date: 20-Oct-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3379337.3415830
Whittaker SMassey C(2020)Mood and personal information management: how we feel influences how we organize our informationPersonal and Ubiquitous Computing10.1007/s00779-020-01412-424:5(695-707)Online publication date: 12-Jun-2020
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Dinneen JJulien CFrissen IBrewster SFitzpatrick GCox AKostakos V(2019)The Scale and Structure of Personal File CollectionsProceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3290605.3300557(1-12)Online publication date: 2-May-2019
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Oh K(2019)Personal information organization in everyday life: modeling the processJournal of Documentation10.1108/JD-05-2018-0080Online publication date: 28-Feb-2019
https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-05-2018-0080
Dinneen JJulien C(2019)The ubiquitous digital fileJournal of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/asi.2422271:1(E1-E32)Online publication date: 4-Dec-2019
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Rein PMarr SSartor J(2018)A soup of objects: convenience interfaces for accessing domain objects in a global object graphCompanion Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on the Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming10.1145/3191697.3213799(236-238)Online publication date: 9-Apr-2018
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Schmidt CPraeg CGunther J(2018)Designing Digital Workplace Environments2018 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC)10.1109/ICE.2018.8436349(1-9)Online publication date: Jun-2018
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