Re: [Hardhats-members] How to access ScreenMan

[Maury P. <mp...@ie...>]

I can't help but chime in on this topic.

Regarding applications where a GUI is inferior: in the clinical lab, =
CHUI is still preferred.  But, many of these have advanced beyond "roll =
and scroll" to taking advantage of VT100 (or higher) screen and keyboard =
controls.=20

Let's examine this question: what are the characteristics associated =
with "GUI" that improve or diminish -- that help or hinder?  To start, I =
think there is the psychological advantage of style and consistency.  =
GUI has color and the same look and feel that people have become used =
to.  Some people never see beyond this.

I remember my first reaction to the windows-style of UI -- "How will the =
application retain control of the screen?"  If the user can arbitrarily =
open and close windows, then there is no way for the programmer to =
predict the consequences.  At the time, I was managing development of a =
product that monitored radiation treatment in real time!  I couldn't =
image what might happen if in the middle of treatment, the user clicked =
on something that would disrupt the program.  The mouse becomes the =
enemy because it allows the user to control the flow of the system if =
not the application.  And, of course, when each empty text box and =
button becomes an object which can be arbitrarily selected, then even =
the flow of the application becomes unpredictable. =20

Programmers learned how to deal with these issues by changing their =
style, but for some applications, that loss of control costs more than =
it buys. =20

That freedom can be a powerful ally also.  Rather than having to predict =
every need and program for it, with a typical GUI system, the user can =
pop up a new window, look up some needed information, and then return to =
the original application -- perhaps even copying and pasting from one to =
the other.  This is a level of power hard to duplicate in the CHUI =
world.

There are ways to retain the efficiency of the CHUI when developing GUI. =
 One is to remove the need for the mouse.  Make sure that there are =
keystrokes for almost everything.  I frequently see people struggling to =
use applications that have been poorly implemented on a GUI.  Also, it =
is possible to ignore mouse clicks.  In the right place, this can =
simplify life for both programmers and users.

Well, if nothing else, this all keeps life interesting.

        -maury-


----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Richard G. DAVIS" <ms...@ch...>
To: <har...@li...>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 8:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Hardhats-members] How to access ScreenMan


> Joseph:
>=20
> Your comment raises an issue I have considered for a long, long time.  =
As a
> Human Engineer, I know that the vast body of research already in place =
would
> support the view that, for specific types of tasks--REGISTRATION being =
one
> example, the classical 'roll-and-scroll' of DHCP (now VistA) is
> significantly superior to 'GUI' styles of display.
>=20
> I once prepared a major research proposal for the DVA in the late =
1980's
> that was intended to bring some empirical evidence out on this issue.
> However, I set the work aside after I decided that the cultural =
atmosphere
> surrounding this matter would not allow the results of such work to =
prevail.
>=20
> People "like" the GUI style of display, and accept the GUI as superior =
on
> the face of it.  In my own experience I have often observed that =
people
> don't "like" work place arrangements that are superior from a =
performance or
> productivity point of view.
>=20
> In the late 50's I did a study that provided evidence of the =
overwhelming
> superiority of "thermometer" style of display for aircraft engine
> instruments when compared to the classical "clock" style of =
instruments.
> Pilots, the cultural judges of such things, repeatedly rejected
> "thermometer" displays.  Even today, when cockpits use "glass" =
technology
> for engine instruments, the clock style is still used more often.
>=20
> It is the overwhelming momentum of of cultural bias, lubricated with a
> measure of technological ignorance, that keeps the GUI style in play =
where
> it is just plain wrong headed to use.
>=20
> Joseph, I doubt that you will ever see the kind of Industrial and =
Human
> Engineering studies done that your comment suggests.   ....but, one =
can
> hope.   :-)
>=20
> Mind you, there are definitely work situations in using computers =
where the
> GUI is definitely the superior style to use.  As there are cases in =
which
> the GUI style in not only inferior, but can even be adverse to the =
point of
> being criminal.  Health care systems are especially vulnerable to this
> possibility.
>=20
> Regards,
>=20
> Richard.
>=20
>=20
> --=20
> Richard Davis
> Mformation SYStems Company
>=20
>    tel:  508-869-6976
>    fax:  508-869-6008
> e-mail:  ms...@ch...
>=20
> P. S.
>=20
> You may recall that an Air Florida jet taking off from Washington =
National
> Airport crashed into the Potomac (sp?) River.  I believe that if that =
pilot
> had "thermometer" style engine instruments, instead of the "clock" =
style, he
> would have realized that he did not have enough engine power to fly =
before
> he committed the aircraft to a take-off attempt.  Only a handful of =
people
> out of the hundred or so passengers survived.  So these issues have =
real,
> present-day, life and death consequences.
>=20
> R. D.
>=20
>=20
> > From: Joseph Dal Molin <dal...@e-...>
> > Reply-To: har...@li...
> > Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 08:14:27 -0400
> > To: har...@li...
> > Subject: RE: [Hardhats-members] How to access ScreenMan
> >=20
> > Thinking out loud...while everyone is indeed going to GUI it is =
worth
> > thinking twice about its efficiency in certain applications like
> > registration... makes me wonder whether anyone has done a time and
> > motion study on this?
> >=20
> > Joseph