The big problem is that no one knows how to read, or write, anymore. I was at a well known, excellent engineering school not long ago. I happened to pass by a bulletin board that held postings put up by faculty and students to announce things that were happening around the campus. The spelling and grammar in the postings was horrible. As noted by the article below, we really do need icons and various colors, etc. these days to tell people what to do. That's all they understand. They certainly don't understand the written word.
Tom Kelman Enterprise Capacity Planner Commerce Bank of Kansas City (816) 760-7632 > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:ibm-m...@bama.ua.edu] On > Behalf Of McKown, John > Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 8:23 AM > To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu > Subject: OT: need for "SmartUser"? > > This is not really about IBM mainframes. But it is, in a sense, about > computing in general. And, perhaps, why mainframes are viewed as archaic. > This is a slashdot article. The person appears to be asking a serious > question. But, how stupid should computer users be allowed to become? > > http://ask.slashdot.org/story/10/03/01/132219/How-Do-You-Get-Users-To- > Read-Error-Messages?art_pos=1 > > <quote> > "The longer I do desktop support, the more it becomes obvious that my > users don't read anything that appears on their screen. Instead, they > memorize a series of buttons to press to get whatever result they want and > if anything unexpected happens, they're completely lost. Error logs help a > lot, but they have their limits. I've been toying with a few ideas, but I > don't know if any of them will work and I was hoping my fellow > Slashdotters could point me in the right direction. For example, I was > thinking about creating icons or logos to identify specific errors. They > might not remember that an error about "uninitialized data" but they might > be more able to remember that they got the "puppy error" if I showed a > puppy picture next to the error message. Or for times when finding images > is too time consuming, you could create simple logos from letters, > numbers, symbols, colors or shapes, so you could have the "red 5" error or > "blue square" error (or any combination of those elements). I've even > wondered if it would be possible to expand that to cover the other senses, > for example, playing a unique sound with the error. Unfortunately, haptic > and olfactory feedback aren't readily available. I like to think that my > users would remember the error that caused them to get a swift kick in the > balls. And if they forgot it anyhow, I could always help them reproduce > it. Does anyone else have experience with ideas like these? Did it work?" > </quote> > > John McKown > Systems Engineer IV > IT > > Administrative Services Group > > HealthMarkets(r) > > 9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010 > (817) 255-3225 phone * (817)-961-6183 cell > john.mck...@healthmarkets.com * www.HealthMarkets.com > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or > proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please > contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original > message. HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and > issued by the insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The > Chesapeake Life Insurance Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance > Company of TennesseeSM and The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO > Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html ***************************************************************************** If you wish to communicate securely with Commerce Bank and its affiliates, you must log into your account under Online Services at http://www.commercebank.com or use the Commerce Bank Secure Email Message Center at https://securemail.commercebank.com NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any attached files are confidential. The information is exclusively for the use of the individual or entity intended as the recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, copying, printing, reviewing, retention, disclosure, distribution or forwarding of the message or any attached file is not authorized and is strictly prohibited. If you have received this electronic mail message in error, please advise the sender by reply electronic mail immediately and permanently delete the original transmission, any attachments and any copies of this message from your computer system. ***************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
