Re: [SLUG] Avatar Interfaces

From: Paul M Foster (paulf@quillandmouse.com)
Date: Mon May 07 2001 - 03:14:32 EDT


On Mon, May 07, 2001 at 12:10:41AM -0400, edoc wrote:

> Anyone aware of a Linux-based Avatar-interface?
>
> I was just watching the TV show Andromeda (the particular one was a bit
> melodramatic)

I agree. A little sappy.

> but it raised an interesting point -- humans react more
> completely with human-like interfaces than non-human.
>

Here's the problem. The more human-like a computer interface is, the
more people tend to believe that the computer "thinks". That's a very
dangerous thing. It leads people to trust computers too much, and forego
the checking of the computer's results and actions. "Garbage In, Garbage
Out" is true of people and computers.

> Perhaps a key element of the future of user computing is via avatar-based
> interfaces. Such may open more doors of opportunity?
>

Here's an example of a task a human considers simple: Your wife says,
"Honey, we need some milk for dinner." It's 3pm on a Sunday afternoon.

On the surface, that statement requires no action at all. It's just a
statement of a supposed fact. Is it a fact? What if she were to cook
something else for dinner that didn't need milk? Are we actually out of
milk, or did she miss that extra half-gallon in the back of the
refrigerator? And so what if we do need milk? What does that mean to
you? Why did she make that statement? Does it mean she's about to leave
to go get some? Does it mean you have to go get some? If you have to go
get it, when does she need it by? Must you go right now? Is there
something else you are/want to/should be doing right now? Do you have
time to do that and get milk before dinner? How important is what you're
doing right now? And where do you get milk? And if you have to leave to
get it, how do you get there? What requirements are there for getting
milk? If you go somewhere, will they just give it to you? Do you need
money? How much? And what kind of milk is needed? Are there different
kinds? If it requires money, do you have it? Where? Must you go get
money as well? What happens if you don't go get the milk? What happens
if you tell her to go get the milk herself( >:-{ )? If you need to get
there and getting there requires that you drive an automobile, what's
needed to do that? Do you need keys? Where are they? Do you need gas?
What kind of gas? How much? Where do you get it? Do you have to pay for
it?

We haven't even gotten out the door yet. And each one of these questions
requires a type of reasoning that's far more than three-dimensional.
Even the act of asking the questions requires deep reasoning, completely
aside from actually answering them. And the solution to each question
requires an understanding of _concepts_ and has its own weight. And
really, I've oversimplified the whole problem. And this is a very simple
human problem.

Multiply that by the millions of problems just like that, which we solve
daily (going to the bathroom, making coffee, driving, discussing TV
shows, working at a job, flirting, drinking water, eating, throwing away
trash, etc.).

I predict that computers will _never_ do this. Not even Linux computers.
;-}

And if they did, some idiot would put them in charge of a missile
defense system. And then we'd have "War Games" and "Colossus: The
Forbin Project" for real.

Not to be a Luddite, but I'm with Ed on this one. Let computers be
computers.

Paul



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