F- Interactivity and Human/Computer Mutualism
1) J.C.R. Licklider, “Man-Computer Symbiosis”, IRE Transaction on Human Factors in Electronics, HFE-1:4-11, March 1960.
-Yuan
1. When Licklider stated “the Man-computer symbiosis is not the ultimate paradigm for complex technological systems”, he thought the artificial intelligence is more challenging and avoided to talk about. How did he thought about the relationship between computer-human symbiosis and AI?
2. The author recorded his thinking process and realized most of his time and effort were wasted on steps such as learning background knowledge, plotting graphic. Comparing the situation in nowadays’ computer human symbiosis, there is still a lot of time wasted on learning software, dealing with the technique issue. Computer’s assistance seems tend to create distractions.
3. Page 77, “In addition, men will handle the very low probability situations when such situation do actually arise”. Ironically, in the example of a telephone auto service system, people “never” try to put themselves in the 0-9 categories, but trying to find the human-agent for help at first time. Is this a sign of deficiency of this particular human computer coupling, or simply shows the nature of human that they prefer communicate with human? Does the same system that computer asks questions in speech and detect the input acoustically did a better job?
Negin
1) About Man- Computer Symbiosis, Licklider talks about quantitative contexts. Now we live about 50 years after that. Can we solve qualitative problems by computer today?
2) How can we use computer as a designer brain to create an architecture?
William
It would seem that with the advent of Siri we have met Licklider’s condtitions for symbiosis. Have we achieved it? Will we soon? Or does Licklider’s description of symbiosis require something closer to artificial intelligence?
Rob-
This writing was done in 1960 and Licklider states that “the basic dissimilarity between human languages and computer language may be the most serious obstacle to true symbiosis.” Is it fair to state that in the last several years this difference has been one of the main focuses in computer development? Could handwriting and speech recognition programs that exist today be considered similar to what the author is discussing? What about the SIRI software for the iphone 4s?
Wesley
– Under the some context of man-computer symbiosis (such as usage in military), the ability to defeat time create a much different environment. With the ability of computer systems, internet, and other information technology inventions, have reached the limit of the idea in physical processing aspect?
– If we did, Since Internet contains the anonymous amount of information, is the speed that they are process and access close to the limit of human? When information process so much faster than we do, what could happen to the information that are lost in time lapse caused by human?
– The concept of man- computer symbiosis Licklider suggested is that “human brains and computing machines will be coupled together very tightly”. While “Siri” is trying to put a similar relationship into everyday life, it is still a system that only helps the human activity when needed. Would we say symbiosis exist or will ever exist under this hierarchical relationship between man and machine?
2) Myron Krueger, “Responsive Environments”, AFIPS 46 National Computer Conference Proceedings, AFIPS Press, 1977.
-Yuan
1. Myron summarized after introduced GLOWFLOW, the 3rd conclusion “in order to focus on the relationships between the environment and the participants, rather than among participants, only a small number of people should be involved at a time”. He seemed to neglect the possibilities of crowd’s response in the environment. Was this conclusion a compromise to the technology level at that time?
2. He asserted that “the only aesthetic concern is the quality of the interaction”, which is easy to understand. However, later he concluded on page 386, that “In fact, it may be desirable that the output not qualify as beautiful in any sense, for that would distract from the central theme……..” To my understanding, output graphic or sound works better to draw participants’ attention and evoke interaction when it’s designed more colorful or appealing.
3. In the section of Control and Composition, it is strange to me for him to summarize and regulate the strategies of interaction when he treated the interaction in the responsive environment as a type of art. Is this a expression of loss of aura in this new art realm?
Negin
What is the definition of “environment”? Can we use it for unrealistic environments like internet?
Rob-
1. Videoplace seems really interesting. Can we go to the University of Connecticut to see it?
2. Are Krueger’s works the predecessors of technology such as webcams, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 Kinect?
3) Dubberly, Pangaro and Haque, “What is Interaction? Are there diferent types?” Interactions, v.XVI.1, 2009.
-Yuan
1. In the examples of Myron’s responsive environment project of Psychic Space and VideoPlace, it seems that computer worked as fixed static system. But in the project of Maze, computer program was divided into two systems, one dealing with regular feedback, the other dealing with the violation. How to define the computer system in this project of Maze. Does it fits the 1-2 interaction?
Negin
By reading this article I found the meaning of “interaction” similar to cybernetics context. Can we say cybernetics is a kind of interaction?
William
In the Engelbart-Rheinfrank model, the necessity of sharing for a learning system suggests the presence of another system. Can a learning system learn without sharing? Or rather, can a system be a learning system in an isolate (prescribed?) environment?
Rob-
1. What is combination 2-1? It is mentioned in the last paragraph under 1-2. Is it the same thing as 1-2?
2. The system combinations make sense generally, but the details are a little confusing. Can we go over them?
Wesley
– Some of the models start to establish a condition of multiple systems almost parallel to each other (such as the model of 1 – 1 and 1 – 2). Under that specific relationship, is that 1 – 1, or is that 1 – 1 – 1? By that I mean two systems are parallel, and acting on another system that is taking the input from them.