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The Case for the Radically Simple Interface and Intelligent Information System

Culture

5.1       For a variety of historical and design reasons, our culture is more friendly towards consumer electronics than to computer-based systems.

1. Radio and television receivers are familiar and robust and what they offer provides an incentive to deal with them effectively, including the use of the relatively non intuitive VCR.
2. Telephones, even in their new cellular form, are familiar and their benefits are obvious
3. Neither a) nor b) are professionalistically associated or alienating; they do not (pace the VCR) require special skills
4. Consumer electronics and telephones are robust; they do not 'crash' or 'fall over' and when there is a malfunction in the data feed there is almost always a reassuring explanation, e.g.:
   • We will resume normal broadcasting as soon as possible
   • The number you dialled has not been recognised, please check and try again
5. PC technology spans a whole range of negative attributes from the perverse to the deeply offensive, from requiring users to press the "start' button when closing down to accusing people of performing illegal operations. This woeful indifference to human factors breeds mistrust and self doubt.
6. With PCs it is difficult both to identify correct practice and to diagnose incorrect practice and error correction.
7. In 'Western' countries people trust broadcasting because of its:
   • Regulated content
   • High production values
   • Transparent access rules and methods
   • Responsiveness to complaints
   • Relatively open and public mission and operations