Re: merging edit time and run time

Albert van der Horst wrote:
> On Mon, May 23, 2005 at 02:14:02PM -0400, Mark Slicker wrote:

>>In some of the cases above, I don't think there is a user illusion in the
>>light switch if it is made clear to the user that the effect of pushing
>>the button is to send a message to a computer to requiest that the light
>>be turned on or off. If they are instead trying to pass it off as a
>>coventional light switch, I think there is an illusion going on here. In
>>most cases it might apear to be a switch, if something goes wrong, the
>>problem may have nothing to do with operation of the light, the button,
>>and the connections between them.

Lots of people have the concept of electric circuits, where a switch 
opens or closes the circuit.  Because they have that concept, some of 
them will assume that every switch opens or closes an electric circuit.

This is an assumption that comes from what they already know.  Maybe the 
amish or people from mali wouldn't have that assumption.

> But in the above case the car manufacturer would not change the
> manual of the car. Lever in this position: light on.
> Lever in that position: light off. This would not change after
> introducing the CAN bus. Most car owners would hardly understand
> if there is a remark there about computers and not conventional
> anyway. The section about trouble shooting in the manual probably
> changes. (No more: look at fuse X if the light doesn't come up.)
> I can't see much wrong with this state of affairs.
> There are a few things each car user should know. Use the right
> fuel. Keeps the tires inflated. Etc. Rightly these are minimized.
> Rightly these are stressed. But why tell him more? Unless he is
> a Forther, I guess ...

> I'm certainly interested in your opinion whether this is bad?
> And if so,  what can be done about it?

What can be done about the assumptions that random users have based on 
what they already know?  What should be done?

A couple months ago I got stopped by the police because both of my rear 
brakelights were out, leaving only what the policeman called the "idiot 
light" at the top to tell people when I put on my brake.  I'd checked 
them about a week before.  So I assumed they were both out because of 
some other problem, wiring or something.  I checked the fuses which were 
of course all OK.  I took the car into the shop and they immediately 
replaced the little lightbulbs, both of which were burned out.  I asked, 
"What's the chance they'd both burn out the same day?".  They said, "It 
happens all the time.".  If I had thought it out I would have tried to 
replace the bulbs myself first, just in case that was the problem.  But 
I assumed they wouldn't go out at the same time because I grew up in the 
days before really great quality control.

People go by what they know, whether it applies or not.  Once I read 
about an artist who didn't understand anything about electricity.  His 
ceiling light had some problem, and he reasoned about it with the 
assumption that it takes a noticeable time for the signal to get from 
the switch to the light.  If he had been using the new fluorescent 
lights there *would* have been a noticeable time between flipping the 
switch and seeing the light turn on.

Ideally people learn how to use each device.  Where a "user illusion" 
helps is when the new device mimics something they already know how to 
use, so they don't actually have to learn how to use it.  The drawback 
is that when they get outside the usual envelope of experience they'll 
use what they know they'll assume the mimicry goes farther than it 
really does.

It would be nice if people learned all about every device they use.  But 
most of them don't want to.  So for example the usual idea of how the 
phone network works is that they used to have switchboard operators who 
plugged in wires to make phone connections.  And now they have computers 
to replace the manual operators.  And they don't need to know more so 
long as it works when they put in the phone number.  They learn a little 
about reception for their cell phones....