Introduction
HCI is an important topic to consider in our lives.
We need to be able to communicate information to each other, whether by reading
text on a website or by using more advanced computer technology, in order to
read the brainwaves of somebody who can’t speak. In this blog, I will describe
the impact of HCI on society, the economy and culture.
Impact on Development
Early
Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
Early
graphical user interfaces were a lot harder to use than modern interfaces. They
were designed for expert users, that meant you needed technical knowledge
before you could use a computer. Even though early GUIs were better than just
the green writing, the interfaces were still hard to read due to the weird
colours that were used.
This
had an impact. It meant that only technical users could use a computer.
However, for development, it meant that PC companies were encouraged to make
computers that had better interfaces than before. Therefore over time, software
and hardware has become better until you get to today where we have very simple
interfaces so that most people can use a computer.
How
have modern GUIs helped us?
Modern
GUIs are a lot better than previous interfaces. This means that anyone can use
a computer because they are simple to use and you know where everything is. An
example of a graphical user interface is Microsoft Office, which allows you to
come up with nice professional documents. Due to the design used, you can
easily find information. Even though in Office 2010 the design is different to
previous versions, people can quickly become familiar with it to produce good
looking documents.
How
has Web User Interface (WUI) helped in communication?
Most
web pages have a similar layout, meaning that you can easily find information
and services. For example, most web pages have a logo and search bar at the top
with a link to your account, a navigation bar below that or to the left hand
side and then the main page content in the other spaces.
By
using this layout, people have become used to it and like it as they know where
everything is. This has helped development because designers base their web
pages around it, which helps them. This therefore means that companies are able
to communicate information to the users in the best possible way.
Present
and Future Development
Through
the history of computers, we have gone from green command lines to computers
with full GUIs. However, in the future, 3D interfaces, voice recognition,
thought input and virtual reality are likely to be used as our computer
interfaces. By using GUIs at the moment, it means that we need to research
deeper to get better computers, as there is no point in having a really good
graphical user interface and stopping there, which is why these other
interfaces are being developed.
These
interfaces will help us a lot in the future. It will help businesses as it will
be easier to communicate to the computer, meaning that more work is completed
by each of the employees, as things are communicate to us and the computer
better. For example, 3D interfaces will allow scientists to come to greater
conclusions when conducting experiments about certain objects as they can look
at it in more detail. Thought input will also be good for speeding up work, because
as you think of something, the computer automatically writes it rather than
having to use a keyboard. These inventions are a good development in computing
as they allow the user to have a better experience.
Impact
on Society
How has improved usability helped out society?
In the
past, user interfaces were a lot more complex than todays. For example, the
computers during the 60s to 80s featured command lines with monochrome displays
(green writing). These required specialist knowledge in order for you to be
able to use the computers, such as people had to learn each of the commands
before they could use a computer. They only had a keyboard, as no mouse was
needed, since there was no graphical user interface. In general, interfaces
were bad as the technology was only basic.
In
todays age, user interfaces are a lot easier than before. We now have a mouse,
meaning that GUIs can be used as the mouse can navigate these better than a
keyboard. This means that more people can use a computer, as they don’t have to
learn too much technical knowledge. Hardware for the computer has also got
simpler, as even though we have had mousses for a few years, some of them are
better than others (for example, the back buttons on the side) meaning that
computers are easier and better to use. Some domestic appliances are easier to
use than they used to be, whereas some of them are about the same, however all
of them feature more advanced technology. However, due to new advanced
technologies, some domestic appliances have more advanced interfaces than they
used to but this helps to make them easier to use, however this doesn’t really matter,
as people are able to learn how to use them quickly, due to people having
better knowledge than what they used to and user manuals.
In the
future, most interfaces should be easier to use. However, interfaces may also
be more complex, as when new technology comes out, more features have to be
fitted into that interface, therefore making it more advanced. You may not have
a keyboard and mouse for your computer, as everything may be done by a touch
screen or something more advanced. However, even more into the future are
Brain-computer interfaces, which allows you to use your brain to control a
computer, meaning that interfaces will be simpler as hardware and software
items are taken away; you will no longer need input devices other than
something connected to your brain, and cursors may no longer be needed if you
can automatically go to an object just by thought. Using these computers are easier
than having a keyboard and mouse since you do everything by just thinking,
rather than having to think and then communicate it to the computer. Domestic
appliances of the future will also be easier to use, and will follow what you
tell them to do.
Even
though the design of a washing machine hasn’t changed much, each development of
the washing machine has got new features and they have become greener. However,
the washing machines of the future will be a lot more advanced than the ones
that we use today. The OVO washing machine is an example of a future design,
which uses the front plate of the washing machine as a display. The washing
machine currently only has one button, so I assume you control it by selecting
washing time and other information from the front plate (it could act as a
touch screen). Even more futurist designs could automatically setup washing
time and other information if the washing machine is able to detect what items
were being washed, and make its own decision.
By
having interfaces going from command lines, to graphical user interfaces, to
even simpler interfaces that allow you to scroll through the content you need
via your brain, this has an effect on society. As interfaces got simpler, more
and more people have been encouraged to use a computer, as they don’t need as much
technical knowledge. Therefore more people have been using computers, and
businesses have been using them as they can automate work and they don’t have
to pay for as much training as they would with command lines. In the future, it
will have a good impact as well as users will be able to get even more work
done, as interfaces will be even easier to read and use. For example, a brain
computer allows you to control the computer just by thinking, rather than
having to think and communicate that information to the computer.
Domestic appliance development has also had an
impact on society. The early designs were fairly basic, and they were also not
the best to use. The modern domestic appliances have got more complex, but you
get more features on the appliance and you can easily operate it. Future
appliances will be simple to use but contain even more advanced features, as
like computers their interfaces will be simpler and may contain features such
as voice recognition. Older designs meant that people have found appliances
harder to use, current designs mean that people can use the devices better and
future designs mean that the appliances will easily interact with you. This
therefore means that in the future people will be able to relax more, as
setting up the dishwasher, turning the channel over on the TV, putting a timer
on the oven, etc. are made easier.
With more and more people creating interfaces, HCI
needs to be considered by the designer. Let’s take the web for example – in the
earlier days, user interfaces were basic and most were hard to read compared to
today’s dynamic web pages. More websites are now on the web as more people can
get access to a computer and the Internet, and you can easily create a website
by using a web authoring software and find a hosting provider who does all the
maintenance for you. This has impacted on society because it means that new
companies can start a business or make money by just selling items online and
people are better off than what they used to be, as they can easily setup a
site using software that does all the coding (easy to use) and the technical
server side of things is maintained. This also impacts on society as people can
now socialise online as web technologies have developed and everyone knows how
to use a computer; even though this is a good thing as you can see who you
can’t in real life, it means that society is socialising online instead of
meeting people in real life, meaning that they are less socially confident.
With modern computers, less knowledge is required
to learn how to use them as people can control computers using a mouse rather
than having to type in commands, which also means that less training is needed
for new users. This has a good impact on society because it means that anyone
can use a computer without having to learn too much, unlike before when HCI was
not considered very well and technology was fairly basic. In the future, even
more people will be able to use a computer as you can control the computer by
your brain, so this will effect society as you can get more functioning out of
the computer and people with disabilities (e.g. can’t use their hand) will be
able to communicate with the computer. People who can’t speak can now
communicate by having a brain computer, as this will type the message on screen
and others can read it, or perhaps those who can no longer move can have bionic
body parts and communicate by just using their brain for that part of the body
to move for them.
Modern
computers have had a good and a bad effect on society in terms of the amount of
work that is done. Office employees can get work done quicker than they could
before as if they didn’t have much technical knowledge (meaning that they
couldn’t use a computer); they would have to use pen and paper meaning that they
wouldn’t get as much work done as they would not be able to type out reports
(and there would be no spell checker) and they would not be able to use the
Internet to find out information. However, it can also have a bad effect on the
amount of work that is completed as sometimes employees can waste time browsing
the web, meaning that not so much work is completed. Even in the future when
interfaces are even simpler, employees will be able to find information from
the Internet even faster, however they may still be able to access websites
that they shouldn’t be instead of working.
Modern
computers allow some people to commit crimes on the Internet. With the rise of
people using the Internet and its ease of use, it means that crimes are on the
rise. People can hack other people’s accounts, put a virus on somebodys’ computer,
access personal information without permission, etc. This effects society
because it means that personal privacy is compromised, people can be angry if
they find out their money has been stolen, they have to reinstall everything on
their computer because it has a virus, etc. Computers of the past were fairly
safe as computers were a new idea, except for a few viruses. I think that the
computers of the future will have better security, however they will be more vulnerable
to viruses. As our lives become more dependant on these computers this will
have a big effect on society if everything would stop working. Therefore
computers of the future might be a bad idea due to the bad things that can
disable them.
Input and output devices have been made better and
simplified due to HCI. With computers on the rise, designers have tried to make
a keyboard and mouse as easy to use as possible – like adding back buttons to
the side of the mouse. Computer screens are getting bigger so that users can see
more information. This
has impacted on society because it means that users can navigate around the
computer easier due to these devices being made. This has therefore encouraged
more people to use a computer, as the hardware that supports the interface is
easy to use. In the past input and output devices were hard to use, so modern
devices are a big improvement leap. Future devices will be even better than
current devices.
In general, improved usability has helped society
and will continue to help, as less technical knowledge is needed. Future
designs will do as you think or say rather than you having to operate them.
Input and output devices have got simpler. Before you had just a keyboard and a
small monitor, now we have bigger monitors and better keyboards to use the
computer. In the future less input devices will be needed other than a brain
computer. User friendless of computers has gone from “not very” to fairly
friendly, meaning that more people are able to use computers and get productive
work out of them, which also helps companies for their employees to complete
work and online companies can now make a lot of profits as they can sell to a
large range of people due to the high usage of computers. Domestic appliances
have become slightly more advanced due to new features on them, however, these
are easy to access meaning that it has helped people get greater use out of
that appliance, which in the future you can get even better results from
appliances as they will be even easier to use, as technology improves.
How have specialised interfaces helped to provide
an inclusive society?
Specialised
interfaces have been made so that nearly everyone can access a computer,
contributing towards an all-inclusive society. By having better interfaces,
people with disabilities can access computers, meaning that they feel happy as
they can do what “normal” people can do and they can easily access the Internet
to browse for information meaning that they can also socialise online.
In the
early days of computers, there would not have been any specialised interfaces –
computers required for you to learn commands and you would have to have a lot
of technical knowledge to learn. There were no interfaces that helped disabled
people. Today’s computers allow you to setup interfaces for disabled people, as
well as changing the view of the operating system for visually impaired users.
Screen readers can also be used to tell people what is on the screen and what
they are currently pressing and selecting on the keyboard. In the future, user
interfaces will support disabled people even better – by continuing to use big
fonts and speaking to the user, but also by allowing them to control it with
their brain (as explained earlier) as this is easier than a keyboard and mouse.
Displays for devices have developed a lot over the
years so that pictures are clearer on the screen (unlike black and white
command lines from before). New ways to display information have been invented
which are better than the past. Touch screen displays seem to be the way that
technology is going as people find them easy to use. People who are blind can
now access the computer by using screen readers. In the future this will
continue to be developed and improved.
This has impacted on society because it means that
people with disabilities can now access information that they might not have
been able to before, which makes them happy as they can do everything that
other people can do. People who find it hard to view small text can use
accessibility tools to help them, such as the basic Magnifier tool from
Microsoft. Other people with disabilities can access other interfaces, such as
bright colour interfaces designed especially for them, or they can use screen
readers so that text is read to them. This will continue to be developed so
that disabled people access computers in the same way that other people do.
This helps to create a more inclusive society.
The
Microsoft Utility Manager including an on screen magnifier (the example shown),
on screen reader (Narrator) and on screen keyboard.
How have various interfaces helped us to cope with
hostile environments?
With
HCI, we can use machines to access areas where we are not allowed to go. This
has an impact on society as it means that humans are not used to the job
instead, meaning that lives are saved. Machines are able to do the dangerous
jobs that humans used to do, thus saving lives.
Remote
control is an example of a device that has an impact. You
can control something from a long distance without having to be at that
location. This has impacted on society, especially the army. They can control
equipment from a distance, so that they don’t have to go to the location and
risk their lives. Bomb squad teams can control robots from a distance, rather
than disabling the bomb themselves. This therefore means that if the bomb does
go off, a human life won’t be taken. These bomb disable devices are only modern
devices, meaning that in the past humans would have to disable bombs
themselves. The interface provided by bomb disposal bots mean that they are
fairly easy to control by the army, which is why they are used. In the future,
these devices should get even better and easier to use so that there is an even
smaller risk of a bomb going off. Remote controls will continue to get better interfaces
so that we can control other items in hostile environments, such as bulletproof
cars.
A data logger is used to record information about
the environment that it is based in. The data that it records can then be sent
to a control centre via wireless, or alternatively a wired cable, which at the
control centre they have a simple computer interface for them to read the data
from the logger. Data loggers have impacted on society because it means that we
can get information without humans having to do a dangerous job. For example,
the army can use them to detect enemy soldiers, or they can be used to detect
weather conditions. Data loggers are fairly new, meaning that they haven’t been
used much in the past. In the future, these devices will be able to tell us
even more information about the environment than what they already do, and the
interface will be even simpler so that receivers can retrieve the information
quicker and easier to make decisions.
Drones (UAV, remote aircraft, remote submarines and
remote ground vehicles) can be used in hostile environments. Only in recent
years have we seen drones. Drones are remote control devices that allow us to complete
tasks without humans having to do the job. You can send in a remote vehicle on
the battlefield front line first to see how many enemies there are so you don’t
have to worry about losing any soldiers – instead a machine is just disabled. More
remote vehicles will be used to protect more human lives, and the remote
interface for their driver will be better so that they are easier to control.
In general, remote control and data loggers are new
technologies that help out our troops, as without them, we would have to
endanger the lives of more troops. The simple interfaces allow the army to
easily control them, and in the future they should be easier to control or
maybe even not need somebody to control them, meaning that human errors can’t
make a mistake happen. However, it also worries me that these types of devices
are being further developed; for example, if a remote vehicle could control
itself, could it be hacked and destroy everything it sees? If that is the case,
then this would destroy society and have a bad effect, therefore I don’t want
these devices to be developed too far.
How
have complex HCI designs helped to manage our lives?
Complex HCI designs have helped parts of society to
develop over the past few years. This includes fly by wire, virtual reality and
heads up displays.
Fly by wire is a system used to control an
aeroplane by itself or the driver is assisted in flying to prevent mistakes
being made. This is part of HCI because the interface for the pilot has been
made simpler than what older aeroplanes use, as electronic interfaces are used
instead of aeroplanes with a lot of levers. This has a good effect on society,
as aircraft have been made safer, as pressure is taken off the pilot, reducing
the amount of accidents that occur. It has also encouraged some people to fly who
might not have wanted to before. These systems have been used since the 1980s,
and allow the driver to put the plane on autopilot and to assist in emergency
situations. In the future, this will get even safer than what it is today to
continue to save lives – however if this system becomes fully driverless, the
pilots will lose their job which has a bad effect on society.
At the moment, most computers use a simple
graphical user interface and they do what we tell them to. However, in the
future, computers will follow us instead. Virtual reality means that computers
can generate an environment for us, such as how it looks, smells, feels, etc. If
the player changes direction in the world, the images change. Virtual reality
can be used to simulate combat situations for the army, which allows them to
train; this is a good idea and has a good effect on society because army lives
are saved as they can practice before actually going out to the front lines.
This also saves money as it is cheaper to use a simulator than pilot a plane or
fire weapons. HCI designs of virtual reality are a modern invention, and will
continue in the future to allow people to get an even greater sense of reality.
Virtual reality is also important to the gaming
industry because they want to create games that are more realistic for players.
Virtual environments could also be used for educational purposes to teach
students, and they could be used for people with disabilities to try to
understand their problems. Therefore this has a good impact as more jobs can be
created, students can learn over the Internet, people might be happier by
playing more realistic games and doctors may be able to understand some mental
disabilities better.
A good example of virtual reality is by the Gadget
Show. They created their own virtual environment for somebody to play
Battlefield 3 on. This is a good example of where technology can take us,
however it is only the start to virtual environments.
Head up displays (HUD) are transparent/projected
displays that show information on a clear surface, so that a human doesn’t have
to turn away to look at something else such as a dial or digital display. HUDs
are increasingly being used in the modern world as they provide an easier way
to display information.
HUDs are mainly used on aircraft. This is used to
show the pilot information about the flying of the plane, such as altitude.
Fighter aeroplanes also use them so that they can target enemy aircraft, as
they don’t have to look down at the dashboard. Recently, cars also use them as
an easier way to display information such as speed, fuel levels, etc.
HUDs are part of HCI and impact on society as they
make an interface easier to read. For example, by using a HUD display in cars,
this means that driving is safer as the driver doesn’t have to take their eyes
off the road, when they need to do something such as checking their speedo. HUDs
have been around since the 1970s however they have only been used recently in
aeroplanes, which has had a good impact as pilots can control their aeroplane
better, meaning that they are less likely to crash. In the future, HUDs will be
continued to used or other methods for the driver to see clearly.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ZUCXuphYQxbh8SsAUDUNKAwyS1t4kuzoL5fq62K35QmNsP3fZZkJL2l5EUysELIunDEuPzGpT2EHBqtihnBglbM9DP7jYi69wToAYHH-gV9ASZamWfVRJw_3bCr8SnzuD_W9tDz7PJ/s1600/F16HUD.jpg
The
picture above shows a HUD from a Jet fighter.
Keyhole
surgery is used to do surgery without having to make big cuts in a body. Tiny
telescope cameras (5mm max) go through a cut in the human’s body, while
operating equipment goes through another cut. The operation is performed by a
surgeon who operates the equipment while looking at the telescope camera on a
display.
Keyhole
surgery HCI design has a good effect on society. By using it, smaller cuts are
used on a humans body. This means that they get less discomfort, a quicker
recovery from the operation and a better result from the surgery. Therefore by
having these effects, the person feels better than having normal surgery.
Keyhole surgery is a fairly modern invention, but in the future it should be
continued to be used and developed so that even less harm is needed to be done
in order to complete surgery, and the cameras will communicate information to
the surgeon without them having to look.
By
using complex designs, it has allowed us to do things that we were not able to
do before, meaning that things that happen are more likely to be successful.
For example, HUDs mean that an aeroplane pilot is more likely to complete the
mission safely, Keyhole surgery means that the operation is more successful as
less damage is done to the patient, virtual reality means that people can train
before doing something dangerous and fly by wire makes aeroplanes safer.
Impact
on Economy
How has HCI affected the productivity of computer
users?
When HCI is used, you can make productivity by
humans greater. This therefore impacts on society because it means that
organisations can get greater work out of individuals, therefore making greater
profits for their business. As time has gone by, users have got more productive
by having better interfaces that they can use. In the future, this will
continue.
Speeding up inputs is one way of increasing
productivity. For example, in supermarkets, barcode scanners are used so that
customers spend less time in the supermarket. This technology is good, as
otherwise staff would have to spend time entering in numbers for each of the products.
This therefore helps the supermarket, as it speeds up the checkout process.
This also impacts on the supermarkets economy, as they don’t have to have so
many tills open in the first place, meaning not so many staff need to be
employed and customers are got through quicker. In the past (before the 1970s)
there were no barcode scanners meaning that the process was longer, and in the
future barcode scanners will be continued to used. This is just one of the ways
that you can speed up inputs for a device.
You can also make productivity higher by reducing
the complexity of inputs, as it takes less time for humans to be trained to use
the equipment. This impacts on economy of organisations because they are able
to get employees to work quicker. Also, if you are selling products, consumers
are more likely to buy your products if they are fairly simple to use. Take the
computer for example – they used to be hard devices to use that required specialised
knowledge of command lines, but now computers feature GUIs, and in the future
will be controlled by your brain.
There are some things that we haven’t reduced the
complexity of in life. For example, nearly all computers use the QWERTY
keyboard, which isn’t the best design because the keys are not in suitable
positions. A Dvorak keyboard (also known as a simplified keyboard) has also
been invented, which puts all of the common keys together - vowels are on the
left, most common consonants are on the right. However, the Dvorak keyboard is
not widely used. The
Dvorak keyboard is a good idea because you are less likely to make errors on it
and the common keys are together. Your employees would get more work done with
it, helping your business to save costs if it were used.
I don’t understand why the world hasn’t adopted to
this layout or something similar for foreign countries. It would increase
productivity of work, as the keyboard is a lot less complex to use. Even though
the Dvorak system is old, it was invented after the QWERTY system and it is a
better design to increase the amount of work somebody can do. The QWERTY system
can take up to 150 words a minute, whereas the Dvorak can take 200. The only
reason I can think of for why we still use QWERTY is that people are used to
it, and changing to Dvorak would mean that society would have to get used to a
new layout, which for a lot of people having to change the way they work causes
confusion and anger. In the future, I think that society should adapt to this
layout, however I don’t think that this will happen for a while.
In
general, HCI has increased the productivity of users. Most input devices have
been sped up so that we can get work processed quicker and the complexities of
many inputs (e.g. communicating with the computer) have been simplified from
the past. In the future, HCI will continue to be developed so that individuals
complete more work, meaning more money. One of the next things that should be
introduced to reduce complexity is the Dvorak keyboard.
Has
increased automation helped the economy?
HCI can reduce human input as new technology
designs of hardware or software might automate things or require less human
skills. By reducing humans and increasing automation, less employees are needed
meaning that the company can make greater profits. For example, machines have
replaced factory workers in the past, and self-scan tills have replaced some
supermarket cashiers.
Even though reducing human input has good effects
on business economies, jobs have been lost because of it. Because of this,
there can be a bad effect on the local economy as more people may be claiming
benefits, and those people may not be happy meaning that they resort to crime,
which also has a bad effect as more money is used to stop it.
For the UK, in the past, many jobs were available
and people worked in factories. Today, people mainly work in tertiary jobs, but
there are factory jobs still available, just not as many due to the tertiary
jobs being used instead and machinery automating the process. This worries me,
as in the future even more jobs will be automated. For example, cars may become
driverless meaning that taxi and bus drivers may no longer be needed. If this
keeps on happening, it will help different business economies, but not the
government as they will have to keep on paying out benefits and projects to get
people back into work.
However, the benefits of reducing human input are
that some humans don’t have to do as much hard work, lives are not risked in
dangerous environments, tasks that humans cannot do are completed and it can
reduce time to do the job. Starting to automate though will cost a lot of money
and the system may not have the biggest amount of intelligence. I think that
automation is good to assist humans as other jobs that we cannot do are completed,
however humans should not be fully replaced as jobs are lost which has a bad
effect on society.
Automation in the form of text readers has helped
the economy. Modern computers have screen readers so that blind people can
still use the computer. This is important to HCI because the interface needs to
be simple so that blind people can use the computer by just using a keyboard,
since they can’t use a mouse.
This has impacted on the economy because computer
companies have to spend research money on making their software and hardware
useable by blind people. However, computer companies can charge more for these
features, which therefore costs the blind person. However, the government may
pay for the computer hardware and software due to disabled rights, making the
government poorer.
By using screen readers, it allows blind people to
get work done that a normal person might not have the skills for. Also, by
using this software and hardware, it allows visually impaired people to use a
computer without having an assistant access the information for them, which
impacts on the economy because they don’t need to pay to have an assistant.
Text
readers are only a modern invention as a way of reading text, as before you
would have to employ someone. In the future, text readers will continue to be used
so that people can read things. This is particularly useful for allowing a
blind person to use a computer, as in the future they will be able to describe
the whole operating of the computer to the user rather than just small parts of
the computer. This impacts on the economy as blind users can now use a computer
to do work (and it makes them happier) meaning they have a job, software
companies get money for it and a reader doesn’t have to be employed. The blind
“user” is able to be independent and not rely on human help.
An example of a screen reader is VoiceOver. This is
provided by the Mac OS X operating system as a way of reading items on the
screen. It is very useful for visually impaired users. Below is a video of
VoiceOver being used. Even though the video is fairly old and it is not such a
good version as used today on Mac OS X, it shows the basics of the technology.
Another advantage of using machines instead of
humans is that they know what to do. For example, a machine will always try its
hardest to get work done as they can’t get tired and they don’t have feelings
so they always do as they are told. This therefore means that any businesses
that use automation instead of humans will benefit because of this. However,
like I said earlier, even though machines can sometimes do a better job than
humans, jobs are lost which effects the local economy of the area. Machines
that know what they are doing are probably going to be used in our future
society.
By employees knowing what work to output, work they
produce will be accurate and it will take less time to produce. This impacts on
the economy of your business because it means that you should be either making
greater profits or saving money on the operating costs. However, this could
also have a bad effect, as fewer employees may be needed if one employee can do
it better than two together.
Voice input allows you to say something, and then your
computer can then follow orders based on what you say. This technology is
fairly new and has not been developed very much at the moment. In the future it
will combined with other items such as thought input as a way of controlling
computers.
Voice input has an impact on the economy, as every
day tasks have/will become simpler, for example, speaking to a lorry where you
would like it to drive, rather than having to employ a driver. It also means
that new jobs are created, as voice recognition software engines are needed. It
creates more IT jobs, however other jobs are lost. This technology will be more
important in the future than what it is now, for example we currently have Windows
Speech Recognition as a way of talking to the computer, however this is basic
and not a lot else is available in this area. In the future, it may be used at
public places to active something (e.g. to open doors) but thought input and
brain computers will take over from voice input for computers that everyday
users have.
Thought input allows people to communicate without
speaking or moving. This is therefore important to disabled people, such as
somebody who cannot speak or move their hand to control a wheel chair. This
impacts on the economy because disabled people will now be able to get a job,
since their productivity is increased - for example, they can now write letters
by thinking rather than typing. There is currently a lot of research into this
technology, meaning that there should be a fair amount of jobs in the area. It
also helps society, as disabled people feel more inclusive.
Thought input is still a fairly new technology,
however it keeps on getting better and better. In the past, thought input has
not been used, and in the future it is a key way that people can communicate to
devices. On the How Stuff Works website is a video showing how thought input
can be used to control a computer cursor.
By
using HCI automation designs, the economy is helped as humans are assisted in
getting work done. Things like thought input mean that humans don’t need to
communicate information to the computer, as it automatically types what they
think, meaning less work needs to be completed. Text readers help disabled
people, but they also allow normal people to hear something rather than having
to take a longer time to read everything. However, automation has a very bad
effect on society as well, as it can get rid of jobs, meaning that those people
are on benefits (making economy poorer), which could lead to depression and
crime.
How has HCI allowed people to use devices on the
go?
By using
HCI, we have been able to work better in different environments and we can use
technology on the go. For example, take the mobile phone. In the olden days,
they were bulky devices that only the “rich” people could afford, like the
example below.
Mobile
phones of today are a lot better than those of the past. They have a lot more
features to them, like texting, video calling, entertainment, taking photos,
social networking and Internet access. The phones of today are very small,
however the phones of the future will be even smaller as they could be
implanted into you – and when you need to make a call, you just think about it
and the call is made, which is good as you don’t have to carry it with you.
The
features of phones getting better and smaller has had a good effect on the
economy as it means that people can be more productive with using a phone, the
companies who make the phones and software get a lot of money and people can
ring someone easily without having to actually travel to a location. People are
better off as well as by using a phone, they feel happier and it provides
entertainment.
Mobile communications allows us to contact somebody
remotely anywhere in the world, without having to find a wired alternative. The
main mobile technology is mobile phones as these are portable, however you can
also use other devices, such as laptops that can connect to wireless routers.
This has also impacted on the economy because a new
industry has been opened, meaning that jobs have been created. Also, the
technologies keep on getting better, meaning that people spend their money on
buying better phones, which gives companies greater profits.
It has also affected the economy as businesses use
mobile phones for better communication. For example, in a supermarket, an
employee can ring the manager as they have their own phone, without having to
go and find him directly.
In
general, HCI has allowed us to use devices on the go because it has meant that
technology has got smaller meaning that we can take things on the go to
complete work. For example, mobile phones are a lot smaller than what they used
to be, meaning that everyone uses them, meaning that work completed is more
productive because you can call someone instantly rather than having to find a
telephone box or a landline.
Impact
on Culture
Has it affected the way that people use computers,
laptops, mobile phones, texting, mobile entertainment & computing, domestic
appliances and games?
With more and more computers being made, we change
the way that we see computers. Early on in the industry, people would see
computers as new things that were expensive and hard to use. However, now that
a lot more people use them, most people see them as easy to use, cheap to buy
and a popular thing to use. We use computers for work and entertainment.
In the
past, we did not have the Internet or computers to use. Therefore people had to
find other ways of entertain themselves such as reading, physical fitness,
going to the pub, etc. Now that we have computers and the Internet, people
socialise on websites, play games, watch films on their computer and video call
rather than seeing that person up close. This has affected our culture as it
means that some people are a lot less socially confident as they talk online
rather than actually seeing the person. In the future, we will rely on
computers even more for entertainment, which slightly worries me as people will
continue to use computers rather than socialising in real time.
With the rise of the Internet, people now use
computers a lot more. Youtube and Facebook are used a lot as people like to
socialise online. This has changed our culture, people now socialise online
instead of going out together. We also use computers to shop instead of going
out to buy items from the shops, impacting as our points of views are changing
(due to the fact it is cheaper and can do it from home); however there are also
effects on the economy because of this, such as the bigger businesses continue
to get richer while small corner shops struggle for business, resulting in a
loss of jobs and livelihoods.
Laptops are a mobile computing device that can be
used when a standard desktop tower is unavailable. Laptops have Wi-Fi built
into them, meaning that you can access the Internet without having to have a
cable plugged in. The same goes for the power, as you can access a laptop by
running it on battery power, but when back at your desk, you can recharge it.
This has affected culture because most people
prefer a laptop rather than a desktop computer. The reason for this is because
you can sit at your sofa to browse the web while you watch TV, take it anywhere
(e.g. holiday, work, etc.), access the Internet without wires (with a PC, you
would have to get a wireless adapter), they are fairly light and are easy to
use.
In the
past, laptops have not been very popular, as you have to pay a lot higher price
for a lower spec due to the portability of it. However, now they cost a similar
price to desktop computers, meaning that more people prefer to buy them. In the
future, they will probably not be used, as even better portability devices will
come out, such as brain computers that are implanted into you.
Even though desktop computers have their benefits,
most people wanting a cheap computer will buy a laptop as desktop versions the
same spec will be about the same cost, yet you don’t get the added portability
bonuses.
By using laptops, it is also effecting out culture
by the fact that we are using computers more while we are not at a workstation.
For example, people usually browse Facebook while watching TV to keep them
occupied during the boring parts and adverts. Laptops also affect us as they
encourage us to update social networking statuses more often, as we can get
onto the Internet. Therefore by using laptops, we are encouraged to use a
computer more often than in the past, which can be a help (e.g. for work) or a
hindrance (e.g. ignoring a conversation as you are looking at something
online).
Mobile phones are a key part to communication in
the modern day. Their communication includes calling other phones, texting,
video calling, sending emails and accessing the Internet to communicate with
others.
In the
past, mobile phones were not really used and were very bulky (as shown in the
image earlier), and they were only available to the people who could afford
them. Now the technology has developed so that they are a lot smaller and so
that we can do all sorts of things on them, such as texting, video calling,
entertainment, taking photos, social networking and accessing the Internet.
They are affecting our culture because more and
more people use them. Years ago, people would have to use a telephone box in
the street, as people didn’t have phones in their houses – let alone a portable
phone. With the invention and design of mobile phones, they are portable and
easy to use.
People use them because it is very easy to contact
somebody; as the technology gets even better, you can ring somebody for longer
periods of time, for a cheaper cost. However, they also have a bad effect on
society, as people use mobile phones when they shouldn’t, which costs the
organisation time.
Texting
on a mobile phone is another thing. On older phones, you would not be able to
text. People prefer to text, as it is cheaper than having to call people. In
the future, I guess that emailing will totally replace texting as phones become
fully connected to the Internet.
Texting
has affected out culture in a number of ways. First of all, people don’t speak
to each in conversation as instead they text each other, meaning that social
skills could be reduced. However, it can also have a good impact such as if you
don’t have time to text someone or they are unavailable for a call, you can
send a text so they still get the message when they next look at their phone.
Even though texting provides ease, it means that people culture is changing as
they send messages instead of actually talking (this can also happen on social
networking such as Facebook).
Entertainment can be provided by mobile devices,
such as the iPod, iPad, iPhone, Amazon Kindle, Nintendo 3DS, laptops and other
devices. Entertainment provided by these can be games, music and movies.
Computing tasks performed include reading, watching the news, social
networking, writing a Word document, checking emails
In the
past, mobile devices were not readily available, let alone providing entertainment
and computing. However, now they are used a lot for these purposes, which I can
imagine will happen in the future as well.
This affects culture because people are using these
devices rather than socialising. However, it does keep people entertained if
they have nothing to do, such as reading an eBook while waiting for the bus. It
can also effect culture because by having mobile entertainment devices and
software being invented overseas, we get to play games invented by those
countries, meaning that we get to learn a bit about their culture.
The appliances in your home are becoming easier to
use, and have more features in them as technology develops. As new appliances
come out, new interfaces are used which should be simpler to use. In the past,
interfaces weren’t always the simplest and devices were fairly basic.
Interfaces have got a lot more
recognisable in todays world, and this will continue in the future.
This has an effect on culture because it is easier
to use the appliances, meaning that less time is spent trying to figure out how
to use the products. It also affects culture because the appliances are
becoming cheaper to buy, meaning that people are more likely to pay for new
ones, meaning that there are less burglaries and people can get the new ones,
which shows they are better off financially.
Games are played on a variety of devices, including
computers, mobile phones, game consoles and portable devices. One effect of
computer games on culture is that people get to learn things about other
cultures – by the game itself, and by talking to others while playing online.
This can therefore make the person feel better or worse about somebody else’s
culture.
Computers
games have only been around recently. However, they have had good and bad
effects since they were first introduced, and this will continue as more and
more people want to play them.
It also affects culture because you may have to
interact with people who speak another language, meaning that you learn the
language and adapt to some of their culture. With online gaming, people from
different backgrounds play with each other, learning about each other and ways
to team build and play fairly.
One of
the bad effects of games is that they can influence peoples’ behaviours. For
example, people have been known in the past to become violent after playing
games, or they can become addicted to playing games. This has a bad effect on
our culture and worries me slightly because it means that people are playing
games rather than socialising with each other in real life! Even though they
can provide a good educational experience, all some people want to spend their
free time doing is playing a game.
In
general, computers, mobile devices and games have affected our culture due to
the way that we keep on using them more and more. By using them more often, we
are not as socially active. We keep on relying on the Internet to find us
information, including things that are commonly done in real life (especially
things that had to be done in real life in the past) such as finding our relationships
online with dating websites.
Has HCI had a phycology and sociology impact on
culture?
HCI can have a positive and negative effect on
culture and the social well-being of humans. An example of a bad impact is that
a good HCI design might mean that fewer jobs are needed in an organisation, as
one human can control the job better than two humans without the right
equipment.
However, a good HCI design can give positive
impacts. For example a better design could mean that employees get the work done
faster, meaning that the employees are not under so much pressure for project
deadlines. This therefore means that the person is not under so much stress at
work, and can get more work done, leading to a promotion.
In the past, when devices were not about, people
had to find other ways to entertain themselves. Back in the days before
televisions, people used to go to dances, view and paint artwork, go to the
cinema, listening to music, etc. However, todays age sees people watching the
TV, going on the computer, listening to music, playing games, etc. including
the items from the past in history (except they are not as popular) as forms of
entertainment. In the future, I think that this culture will be the same with a
few more ways of entertainment that we have not discovered yet.
By
inventing new HCI designs, it means that people are using new technology more
and more. Therefore by using technology more often, this has an effect. First
of all, it could mean that more people have good technical knowledge of using
computers and devices, which changes our culture because people are more likely
to use the device by having knowledge of it. This therefore means that all we
want to do in our spare time is to use a computer, as by having good HCI
designs we want to use them. This has an effect because instead of spending
time socialising, going outside, getting fit etc., we are using our devices.
Another example of this are books – instead of reading them, people have a big
collection of eBooks as some people think they are better due to the fact that
they are all together in one place.
Deskilling work can have an effect. If you de-skill
work, you are replacing a human with a machine. This can quite often happen
because machines do the job quicker and cheaper. However, it can also be a bad
choice for the company in some situations, as the quality of the final product
will not be so good as human care has not gone into it.
Deskilling work effects the culture and lots of
people are made redundant. These people are therefore unemployed, which makes
them feel useless and unhappy due to the fact that they have nothing to do,
they are not being paid and their quality of life is not so good. Customers are
also not as happy because the products are not as high quality as what they
could be, however they may not be bothered by this if the prices of the
products go down.
The Kinect and Wii have also had an impact on our
culture. Playing games as a family in the past was unlikely to happen, however
with the Kinect and Wii this has been made possible. This can have good
effects, such as learning to get on with each other and developing team skills,
which is good as you are better off socially. However, the bad part to playing
games as a family is that it might make you become addicted, and therefore play
games instead of going on family outings. However, I think that playing games
as a family is generally a good idea as you socialise with each other rather
than playing by yourself. I think this will continue in the future.
In
general, HCI has had an impact on psychological and sociological of humans as
by having good HCI inventions, we use them more often than doing traditional
things such as socialising with family. Good designs have also got rid of jobs,
meaning that people can become depressed. You can now play as a family, which
is generally good as you get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses if
you don’t see each other very often.
How has HCI had an impact on developing nations?
There are many countries out there known as “less
economically developed country” (LEDC). These countries don’t have the money or
resources to afford better HCI designs of equipment that we have, and they
often have to use old equipment as newer items cost a lot more. This can impact
on their culture, as they don’t have the equipment to make higher quality
products, therefore meaning they create basic ones to sell cheaply, which
doesn’t give them so much money.
Take the example of farming. Hand tools have to be
used instead of vehicles like a tractor. This therefore means that not so many
crops can be harvested, as it takes a lot longer. However, this means that more
people are required (more jobs), as one person can’t complete so much work.
With fewer profits in the first place, the farmers will not be able to afford
new machinery, meaning that they won’t be able continue the job as farmers that
have the machinery get the contract, meaning they are jobless. If they don’t
lose their job, they will probably just be paid less.
Charities
have been able to donate some new HCI designs to the developing countries in
the last few years. For example, you can donate your old computer to a charity
and they will send it off to a developing country so that they can use it. This
therefore helps somebody in that country, as they are able to work more
efficiently than having to write on pen and paper, which also means that it
helps their country to adapt, more to our one with lots of computers. I think
that in the future, they will have a lot more of our old computers, as people
will continue to recycle them.
In
general, good HCI can help developing countries, however they haven’t got the
money to get these designs. There are still a lot of people in the poorer
countries who have not got the right equipment for farming unlike what we have
in this country, meaning that they are unable to develop. However when we give
them equipment, it makes their life a lot easier and therefore they are more
likely to become an MEDC.
Conclusion
I have explained the effects of Human Computer
Interaction on society, economy and culture. These are important because you
need to be able to display information to people. The best designs communicate
the most information and allow humans to get the job done well, however, this can
also mean that jobs are lost as one human with the right equipment may do a
better job than two humans without the equipment. They can also mean that we do
other things than what we used to for entertainment (e.g. play games instead of
socialising) but they also allow us to come together (e.g. Wii games that are
designed for the family).
By using HCI, it has allowed disabled people to use
things that normal people take for granted, for example visually impaired
people can now use a computer as font sizes can be increased. HCI has
simplified access to technology, as explained earlier, computers have gone from
command lines to GUIs. Despite these two benefits, it means that some people
are getting addicted to devices and the features of them such as games, social
networking, instant messaging, etc.
I think that good HCI is good for society as more
people can use computers than before and hostile environments are safer. Even
though HCI has a good effect on the economy such as better designs lead to
greater efficiency, it also has a very bad effect of replacing jobs with
machines. For culture, it has some good effects as people who haven’t used
computers before use them, it is developing countries, families are getting
together more to play games, you can use mobile technologies for better
communication, however people are using devices for too long instead of doing
other sociable things. Therefore I think that HCI has its benefits, but there
should be a line where it should stop so that the negative effects don’t get
worse.
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