kirlik@chmsr (Alex Kirlik) (04/14/91)
In article <OG73CU9@taronga.hackercorp.com> peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >alex@telecdn.uucp (Alex Laney) writes: >> This is of course, way out in left field... > >No, it's pretty reasonable actually. > >> I would like to put forth the proposal to rename the following newsgroups... > >> comp.cog-eng --> comp.software-eng.cognitive OR comp.software-eng.user-interface > >How about using the existing comp.sw hierarchy? > > comp.sw.engineering > comp.sw.cog-eng Please, to say that cog-eng is a software issue is similar to saying that electrical engineering is a radio or TV issue. It is a historical accident (owing to the fact that computer folks were the dominant net users) that a lot of stuff got placed under the comp hierarchy rather than some other hierarchy (eng. perhaps). Besides interface software design, cog-eng relates to hardware design, documentation, training, the design of a telephone, a stapler, the layout of you-are-here maps in shopping malls, curriculum design for 4th grade, where the windshield wiper in a car should be placed, and virtually any other design problem where knowledge of human cognition is relevant. Yes, most, but not all, of the postings in comp.cog-eng concern interface software, but this is merely an artifact of the current user population. Ten years down the line with the spread of computer literacy perhaps the distribution of net users will be more representitive of the distribution of researchers and practioners in all domains of inquiry. Maybe by then we will see top nodes like: eng.electrical eng.mechanical eng.software eng.cognitive etc. Just my two cents, Alex UUCP: kirlik@chmsr.UUCP {backbones}!gatech!chmsr!kirlik INTERNET: kirlik@chmsr.gatech.edu
rthomson@mesa.dsd.es.com (Rich Thomson) (04/18/91)
In article <26213@hydra.gatech.EDU> kirlik@chmsr.gatech.edu (Alex Kirlik) writes: >[...] Besides interface software >design, cog-eng relates to hardware design, documentation, training, >the design of a telephone, a stapler, the layout of you-are-here maps >in shopping malls [...] Most of the "you are here" maps I've seen in shopping malls were obviously "designed" by someone without cognition. Why else are they so damned hard to use? Things like the index being next to useless unless you already know the name of the store, the "grid" coordinates not aligned to any grid (might as well be a street address), the "you are here" marker not shown in a distinctive color from the map (god forbid if you're color blind), etc. While I can imagine a cog-eng might be able to do a great job designing one of these things, they always look like the average fourth grader could do a better job. -- Rich -- ``Read my MIPS -- no new VAXes!!'' -- George Bush after sniffing freon Disclaimer: I speak for myself, except as noted. UUCP: ...!uunet!dsd.es.com!rthomson Rich Thomson ARPA: rthomson@dsd.es.com PEXt Programmer
sfp@mars.ornl.gov (Phil Spelt) (04/19/91)
In article <1991Apr18.164526.5141@dsd.es.com> rthomson@dsd.es.com (Rich Thomson) writes: >In article <26213@hydra.gatech.EDU> > kirlik@chmsr.gatech.edu (Alex Kirlik) writes: >>[...] Besides interface software >>design, cog-eng relates to hardware design, documentation, training, >>the design of a telephone, a stapler, the layout of you-are-here maps >>in shopping malls [...] > >Most of the "you are here" maps I've seen in shopping malls were >obviously "designed" by someone without cognition. Why else are they >so damned hard to use? Things like the index being next to useless >unless you already know the name of the store, the "grid" coordinates >not aligned to any grid (might as well be a street address), the "you >are here" marker not shown in a distinctive color from the map (god >forbid if you're color blind), etc. > >While I can imagine a cog-eng might be able to do a great job designing >one of these things, they always look like the average fourth grader >could do a better job. > > -- Rich >-- > ``Read my MIPS -- no new VAXes!!'' -- George Bush after sniffing freon > Disclaimer: I speak for myself, except as noted. >UUCP: ...!uunet!dsd.es.com!rthomson Rich Thomson >ARPA: rthomson@dsd.es.com PEXt Programmer That's because cog-eng and human factors are both "just common sense", as we all know. Since we all think and learn, we are all, ipso facto, experts in these two fields, right <8=) ?!??! If you get the impression that this is a FLAME for those who think that way, you are VERY perceptive! ============================================================================= MIND. A mysterious form of matter secreted by the brain. Its chief activity consists in the endeavor to asscertain its own nature, the futility of the attempt being due to the fact that it has nothing but itself to know itself with. -- Ambrose Bierce ============================================================================= Phil Spelt, Cognitive Systems & Human Factors Group sfp@epm.ornl.gov ============================================================================ Any opinions expressed or implied are my own, IF I choose to own up to them. ============================================================================
mann@intacc.uucp (Jeff Mann) (04/22/91)
In article <26213@hydra.gatech.EDU> kirlik@chmsr.gatech.edu (Alex Kirlik) writes: > >In article <OG73CU9@taronga.hackercorp.com> peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >>alex@telecdn.uucp (Alex Laney) writes: >>> This is of course, way out in left field... >>> I would like to put forth the proposal to rename the following newsgroups... >>> comp.cog-eng --> comp.software-eng.cognitive OR comp.software-eng.user-interface > >Please, to say that cog-eng is a software issue is similar to saying that >electrical engineering is a radio or TV issue. It is a historical Likewise for comp.multi-media - the group discusses all aspects of multi-media, including hardware and production techniques, etc., and is definitely not a software discussion group. Please leave it alone. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | Jeff Mann Inter/Access Artists' Computer Centre, Toronto [416] 535-8601 | | intacc!mann@cs.toronto.edu Matrix Artists' BBS: [416] 535-7598 2400 8N1 | | ...uunet!mnetor!intacc!mann mann@intacc.uucp [416] 535-1443 Telebit 8N1 | =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-