6.26.2006


Question:
What's cool?

Man, this is cool:
"Sometimes you can't smooth these 'seams' away, and so seamful design is about taking account of these reminders of the finite, limited and physical nature of digital media. It's about deliberately but selectively revealing these seams to users, to let people make of them what they will. Seamful games are a means to try this kind of system design out, as well as an end in itself."
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Question:
When will the pure physical, virtual, and ubi-quical converge, blend, and be seamless?

Cool:
"...Equator is a six-year Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration (IRC) supported by EPSRC that focuses on the integration of physical and digital interaction..."
[11]

Question:
How can you not be watched over if we default to harmlessness?

Check it:
"...Principle 1. Default to harmlessness. Ubiquitous systems must default to a mode that ensures their users’ (physical, psychic and financial) safety.

Principle 2. Be self-disclosing. Ubiquitous systems must contain provisions for immediate and transparent querying of their ownership, use, capabilities, etc., such that human beings encountering them are empowered to make informed decisions regarding exposure to same..."

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Question:
Was I just thinking this? Well... something close... :)

Good thoughts:
"...part of what that means is that I get to spend a great deal of time with the people who use complex technological systems, devices and artifacts - systems, like the very one you’re reading this on, that have a great deal in common with those being dreamed at Ubicomp, the 'context-aware wearables,' 'face-responsive interfaces' and such."
[111]


Question:
Do you feel like a tool?

You shouldn't:
"A good tool is an invisible tool."


Question:
When aren't you surrounded by computers?

Answers:
"Ubiquitous computing is roughly the opposite of virtual reality. Where virtual reality puts people inside a computer-generated world, ubiquitous computing forces the computer to live out here in the world with people. Virtual reality is primarily a horse power problem; ubiquitous computing is a very difficult integration of human factors, computer science, engineering, and social sciences."
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