It is really interesting to think about this in terms of global interaction structure. Search engines are really a layman's command line interface for the web. Very direct access to information, if you know the right syntax. This is as compared to the hierarchical menu structure (GUI-driven) thathas been shown to be the easiest to learn (assuming that the you have the categorization of information correct). The improvment in the search engine's tolerance for "faulty" syntax, coupled with the high accuracy of the search results really eliminates some of the faults that traditionally are associated with command-line interfaces. And what you are left with is the speed and efficiency of direct access vs. the intuitiveness of a hierarchical menu structure. Are the bulk of web users becoming "expert" users in which they are looking for the power and efficiency of a command line interface? Is the baseline level of web-user sophistication growing to the point that power, speed, and flexibility (at least in navigation) are as important as rock solid intuitiveness (not to be confused with ease of use)?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=24134 ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
