Monday  2002-08-19   Software

Making software useful for people

As noted in Contours we are far from making software truly useful for normal users.

The Mac may have some chance of becoming a platform good enough to allow non-techie users to really mold the environment. Musicians and graphic artists don't count. I mean normal users. I'm afraid I'm not optimistic, but it is good to see some ferment.

Why the pessimism? Perhaps the shallow response to the death of Kristen Nygaard. I was amazed at the number of C++ developers who belive they are following in the footsteps of a man who changed the course of computer science so shipyard workers could participate in software design. (I realize that the dialog on Apple scripting is at a higher level.) How many developers are focused on how to involve the people who must live with software systems? It seems to me that instead of debating the merits of various scripting languages, a comparison of the ability of domain experts and stakeholders to interact with systems built with the contenders.

In the 1970's, Kristen was an early advocate of user participation in industrial systems design. His social research into the impacts of new technology on workers influenced landmark union-management agreements and legislation, in Norway and other countries.