Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction [Hardcover]

Engineering research does not generally have to be as strongly academically founded as scientific research. The controlling factor is "does it work," not how does it relate to previous work. This tendency leads to problems when it is necessary to do multidisciplinary work involving both engineering and science. The redesign of the human/computer interface is just such a problem.

As an engineer working independently in this field, I have often wished for the time and resources to do proper academic studies. Paul Dourish has now done them for me. All my future publications will have to show consistency with this book, show they are clearly outside the area covered by this book, or show the book is wrong. The last alternative is most unlikely. I think I can show my work, based on Darwinism and ontology, complies with the first option. I am certain that my work will be stronger for this effort.

Engineering research does not generally have to be as strongly academically founded as scientific research. The controlling factor is "does it work," not how does it relate to previous work. This tendency leads to problems when it is necessary to do multidisciplinary work involving both engineering and science. The redesign of the human/computer interface is just such a problem.

As an engineer working independently in this field, I have often wished for the time and resources to do proper academic studies. Paul Dourish has now done them for me. All my future publications will have to show consistency with this book, show they are clearly outside the area covered by this book, or show the book is wrong. The last alternative is most unlikely. I think I can show my work, based on Darwinism and ontology, complies with the first option. I am certain that my work will be stronger for this effort.
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Why is the human/computer interface now so important?

It is quite possible that the events of 9/11 are just the first in a series of major shocks that will mark the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Others that may follow within a few years include the end of cheap oil (Hubbert's Peak) and environmental deterioration from human activities (Greenhouse Effect).

The first lesson learned from 9/11 is that resources in place at the start of a major event are the only ones you can use to address it. You may have the time and money for research later but in the hour of need only those things that are already developed are of use. The research and development must be done before hand.

The second lesson is that we can address great problems by uniting in our strengths. Some strengths will be called forth when needed but others are best studied and understood. Two such strengths are the number of good people available to work problems and the available computational power. Both these have undergone exponential growth and are at historic levels.

These two strengths multiply when used together and this is exactly what the current redesign of the human/computer interface proposes to do. With this book, Paul Dourish has laid an excellent interdisciplinary foundation for this effort.