Book Author: Thomas EricksonCHAPTER 24: A Simulated Listening Typewriter: John Gould Plays Wizard of Oz
Chris Schmandt
MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Summary
In this paper, Chris Schmandt relates his work on some of the very first speech-based conversational human interfaces in the 1980s. He explains how the high cost of speech recognition equipment was hindered HCI researcher and how the focus at that time was in algorithm development. IBM, was building dictation-style systems that were supposed to be able to create text documents from speech, without keyboard input. Out of that lab most importantly was John Gould. Schmandt goes on to describe the technique John Gould developed as a way of evaluating speech recognizers. Today it is known as “Wizard of Oz” technique. It consists in a person interacting with a computer by speaking into a microphone, and subsequently having the speech being translated into text. The catch is that a human is listening to the speech and typing the text. Before the text is displayed to the user, the text is run through one of the specified algorithm. Schmandt relates the results of the experiment and how it led to the following conclusions:
In this paper, Chris Schmandt relates his work on some of the very first speech-based conversational human interfaces in the 1980s. He explains how the high cost of speech recognition equipment was hindered HCI researcher and how the focus at that time was in algorithm development. IBM, was building dictation-style systems that were supposed to be able to create text documents from speech, without keyboard input. Out of that lab most importantly was John Gould. Schmandt goes on to describe the technique John Gould developed as a way of evaluating speech recognizers. Today it is known as “Wizard of Oz” technique. It consists in a person interacting with a computer by speaking into a microphone, and subsequently having the speech being translated into text. The catch is that a human is listening to the speech and typing the text. Before the text is displayed to the user, the text is run through one of the specified algorithm. Schmandt relates the results of the experiment and how it led to the following conclusions:
· Vocabulary size is critical.
· Integration of editing with text input must be addressed.
· Performance will be critical to acceptance
Schmandt finally explains how Gould’s paper led to a career in speech recognition, and that one thing he does is when working on a project is to pay attention to the needs of the user in question. A few of areas where he works is in telephone-based conversational agents and mobile speech interfaces.
Discussion
This paper was insightful. It goes about describing the beginnings of research on speech recognition and the development of the “Wizard of Oz” technique. I am however noticing a pattern while reading all these essays. It seems that whenever a new technology emerges and is not the main focus of the researachers of the time, it does ntot get attention. Speech recognition nowadays sis a big deal. It is used in cellphones for dialing contacts, it is used in telephone-based conversational .I always have to talk to a computer system when calling my bank, phone provider, or customer care.
CHAPTER 25: Seeing the Hole in Space
Summary
In this paper, Steve Harrison recounts his encounter with artists who created a video called “Hole in Space”. At first he is skeptical about meeting them because they are artists while he is not. He then explains how he was surprised to people’s reactions when the artists projected full-size images of Lincoln Center to people in New York and Century City images to people in Los Angeles. He notes the inquisitive nature of the people and their curiosity to know where the people they were watching were.
CHAPTER 26: Edward Tufte’s 1 + 1 = 3
Summary
In this essay, Scott Jenson explains how a chapter of Edward Tufte’s book called “Envisioning Information” had an impact on his work as an Interaction Designer. He relates his experience in an elevator and how pushing on the close button instead of the open button makes him realize there is design flaw. Given two choices that look the same, this creates a clutter situation that can lead to confusion. He also explains the problem that occurs with technologists where ther e is a focus on implementing all functionality as opposed to implemeint the functions that are actually necessary. He also reveals how people prefer many functions as opposed
Discussion
Kidd’s work is a little outdated, so Whittaker contextualizes, and reframes the claims above. Some of the questions he thinks we should be asking ourselves are:
Discussion
Summary
In this paper, Steve Harrison recounts his encounter with artists who created a video called “Hole in Space”. At first he is skeptical about meeting them because they are artists while he is not. He then explains how he was surprised to people’s reactions when the artists projected full-size images of Lincoln Center to people in New York and Century City images to people in Los Angeles. He notes the inquisitive nature of the people and their curiosity to know where the people they were watching were.
Discussion
This paper was quite interesting, and I think it illustrates the importance of multidisciplinary projecsts. One sometimes needs another fields perspective to find solutions. It is common to see this in tech compapanies nowadays. Companies will invite special guests from other fields to make presentations, and ideas can insue from those collaborations.
Summary
In this essay, Scott Jenson explains how a chapter of Edward Tufte’s book called “Envisioning Information” had an impact on his work as an Interaction Designer. He relates his experience in an elevator and how pushing on the close button instead of the open button makes him realize there is design flaw. Given two choices that look the same, this creates a clutter situation that can lead to confusion. He also explains the problem that occurs with technologists where ther e is a focus on implementing all functionality as opposed to implemeint the functions that are actually necessary. He also reveals how people prefer many functions as opposed
Discussion
The essay reminded me of the KISS(Keep It Simple S…..) technique. When confronted with two objects, there is a third that forms which is the mental process of choosing.
CHAPTER 27: Typographic Space: A Fusion of Design and Technology
Summary
In this essay, Jodi Forlizzi discusses how he got to work on kinetic typography.
In this essay, Jodi Forlizzi discusses how he got to work on kinetic typography.
He starts by talking about Muriel Cooper from MIT who was the first person to study typography in relation to technology. This was in the late 80’s. With her team of graduate students, she put out a paper describing the typographic system which allowed the designer/programmer to lay out text in a three dimensional space. Cooper passed away in 19994. After that, Forlizzi went to work as graduate research students under Cooper’s former student Ishizaki who was now a design faculty at Carnegie Mellon. Forlizzi goes on to describe how further work in the subject led to the understanding of the communicative power of kinetic typography. Kinetic typography or simply “moving text” is used heavily nowadays in opening credits for movies for effect.
Discussion
This paper is the most interesting so far out of the reading assignment. If you have ever watched a movie, you’ve experienced kinetic typography. I think it once again serves to show that multidisciplinary projects are important. I think this essay also serves to show that anything can have a technological spin on it. For example, sound effects with music, books turned into e-books, etc… .
CHAPTER 28: Making Sense of Sense Making
Summary
In this essay, Steve Whittaker discusses A. Kidd’s paper: “The Marks are on the Knowledge Workers”. The paper makes two principal cases on the use of personal information:
- Memory prosthesis: Computers are primarily used for storage of information
- Sense making: Computers aren’t good at making sense of the information we encounter.
Whittaker explains that Kidd’s work changed his focus in his research from how people organized information to more on what people did.
Kidd’s work is a little outdated, so Whittaker contextualizes, and reframes the claims above. Some of the questions he thinks we should be asking ourselves are:
- what are the uses of work-oriented memorabilia?
- What are the uses of digital memories?
- How can we help people create useful archives
- What processes are involved in handling working information?
Discussion
The author primarily discusses how his approach to conducting research shifted. The main thing I understand is that Kidd was trying to emphasize in his work the importance of the user’s experience as opposed to the functionalities the user could perform. I liked this paper because it brings up a good point. Eventhough nowadays we have more storage capacity, it still is tedious to search through. I often get periods during which I can’t find documents, and they are cluttered all over my desktop. I wonder if that indicative of one’s organizational skills.
CHAPTER 34: Revisiting an Ethnocritical Approach to HCI: Verbal Privilege and Translation
Summary
In this paper by Michael J. Mullard, relates how a book by Arthur Krupat influenced his approach to his HCI work. Krupat’s book primarily deals with the plight of the native Americans in their quest for sovereign status. Mullards understands, that the relation between Indians and the US
Discussion
I thought it was interesting how the author realized the ethical, political and epistemology implication of abuse of the customer.
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