tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27245601858013580192024-03-02T17:30:07.557+00:00Usability in ContextUsability and Quality In Use in everyday life. How we might apply usability and Human Centred Design in an everyday context.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-89752377148415769902022-07-07T09:02:00.004+01:002022-07-16T16:14:54.146+01:00Myths and Narratives about "sustainability" in the Holocene "Only to the white man was nature a "wilderness" and only to him was
the land "infested" with "wild" animals and "savage" people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings
of the Great Mystery". - Luther Standing Bear
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.
When we see land as a community Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-79036743127542148842022-01-27T11:06:00.004+00:002022-01-29T09:04:21.823+00:00Tools and teams as interaction metaphors Kranzberg's First Law (here): “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral.” By which he means that:“technology’s interaction with the social ecology is such that technical
developments frequently have environmental, social, and human consequences that go far beyond the immediate purposes of the technical
devices and practices themselves, and the same technology can have quite Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-31426697755544281212021-09-21T20:05:00.000+01:002021-09-21T20:05:09.882+01:00The State of Human-Centredness in AI and automation There is much talk about a human-centred approach to AI, and using AI to
provide Intelligence Augmentation. For example, this talk
contrasts AI as a magic beanstalk vs. AI as a tool for human use.
This post examines the practical likelihood of achieving such aims at any
scale, and reviews the forces opposing the adoption of a human-centred approach to automationUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-31514563195831230352021-09-21T15:07:00.003+01:002022-01-15T15:40:04.010+00:00Engineers and Human Values “If it weren't for the people, the god-damn people' said Finnerty,
'always getting tangled up in the machinery. If it weren't for them, the world would be an engineer's paradise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Player
Piano
"Nice thread, but thinking of AI as “user-centered” is a narrow view.
Shouldn’t the real goal of AI be to create truly autonomous intelligent beings rather than Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-32459825574485121392021-09-08T10:19:00.003+01:002022-10-04T12:59:59.828+01:00Does productivity matter? The Solow Computer Paradox, or IT productivity paradox has been running
for a while now. The latest installment of the mysteries of productivity
has been published recently here.Obviously, we cannot expect economists to tell us anything useful, so
a short listicle on practical reasons for the paradox may help. The Black Box approach to organisations taken by economists is unable
to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-59566356485152179742020-01-04T08:56:00.001+00:002020-01-04T20:43:48.351+00:00Reflections on 'Four Decades, Four AI Papers'I really enjoyed reading 'Four Decades, Four AI Papers'
by Murray Shanahan. The familiar names evoked memories and provoked ideas. Two observations (NOT criticisms) are relevant here.
How tangential psychology has been to the AI story over this time. Not what I had expected from my undergraduate experience.
The AI development processes over time are completely, conceptually, detached from the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-31762827500654241722019-09-17T10:18:00.000+01:002019-09-21T10:45:03.820+01:00Why we won't get online safety
Why data breaches won't go away
Why phishing won't go away
"Those
who would give up essential usability to purchase a little technical security deliver neither usability nor security."
There
is no prospect of us having online safety in the foreseeable future. The diagrams above show the stories around data breaches and phishing.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-45280124059777753682019-09-17T08:49:00.003+01:002021-04-01T11:52:59.610+01:00Passwords and Usability
Usability of advice
Much advice on passwords is contradictory, confusing, and context-free. I
propose a Scale for Evaluating Password Advice (SEPA)
1. Does the advice give due prominence to haveibeenpwned.com?
2. Is the advice tailored to specific users and contexts (use cases)? (as opposed
to being generic)
If 'Yes' to question 2:
3. Are there indications that the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-46733334024362968712018-05-21T14:53:00.000+01:002018-05-21T14:53:21.945+01:00Systems of interest for autonomous platformsThe discussion on various autonomous cars, ships, aircraft has generally
been focused on the moving platform - by default, or by assumption. It
would be helpful to consider the various systems of interest. A very
small start has been made by distinguishing UAV and UAS, but we are
still at the point where most of the systems of interest do not have
names. There are a number of Technical Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-37578062056712903862018-01-03T16:12:00.006+00:002018-02-26T08:06:39.123+00:00Getting started with safe internet useThis is written for members of my family who are starting out with PCs on
the internet (no comments here about Apple).
Install Webroot WSA - it uses less of your computer power running in the
background than other AV tools. Remember to run scans regularly - don't just rely on it working in the background.
Putting your data on a separate 'partition' of the disk to Windows etc.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-90562468633274080772017-12-17T12:16:00.002+00:002022-12-05T09:54:31.764+00:00Does Autonomous = Small?
The Clyde Puffers had a crew of 3 and capacity of about 6 TEU
Wage bills have been a factor driving for ever-larger lorries and container
ships. The transport companies have successfully externalised the knock-on costs of ever-larger ports, depots, and warehouses, and the impact on city streets.
Removing the wages bill could open the way to a radical reduction in
size. The perennialUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-35164251240261932442017-11-27T15:34:00.000+00:002017-11-27T15:34:05.439+00:00Turning 'Meaningful Human Control' into practical reality
The Fake News
The ambiguity in 'Meaningful Human Control' (MHC) may have been good
for generating discussion but it is no good for system design or
operation. Rules Of Engagement are bad enough without adding more
ambiguity. Some folk seem surprised that 'ethics' needs converting to a
technical matter - how else do they think 'ethics' will be implemented
at design or run time? The legal Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-17247599430610281802017-10-13T11:55:00.000+01:002017-10-13T15:50:30.261+01:00Walkable urbanism vs. the RobocarA developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's
where the rich use public transportation.” - Gustavo Petro
"Planning for the automobile city focuses on saving time. Planning for
the accessible city focuses on time well spent." - Robert Cervero
"In the walkable city, people gather in a piazza, plaza, or square.
In the automobile city, they're calledUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-64182591178774491742017-09-18T14:59:00.003+01:002017-09-18T14:59:31.412+01:00Safety requirements for Autonomous Vehicles
The voices advocating a transition to Self-Driving Vehicles /
Autonomous Vehicles / robocars claim they will eliminate '1 million
deaths per year'. I have been told there is a 'moral imperative' to use
AI for driving because of this. However, as pointed out by
@SafeSelfDrive on Twitter, robocars are not a response
to user pull or a safety initiative. Robocar started at google,
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-72706275405122512402017-06-06T09:50:00.000+01:002017-06-06T09:51:42.324+01:00Urban mobility - harmonising platforms and infrastructure
“Y’know, watching government regulators trying to keep up with the
world is my favorite sport.”
Neil Stephenson, Snow Crash, 1992.
Technology metals and new materials offer the promise of a 'Cambrian
explosion' in forms of urban mobility. Too many examples to list, but see the options at the end of this
, or this.
If we can co-develop infrastructure and mobility Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-9024847759020960372017-06-02T12:54:00.000+01:002017-06-02T12:54:10.552+01:00Some reflections on 'Sully'The movie 'Sully' received some criticism for taking artistic licence
with the NTSB inquiry, and the NTSB complained about how they were portrayed. Additionally, some of the cockpit actions were criticised as
incorrect - not according to procedure. This note rebuts such complaints and criticisms.
When I hear 'failed to follow procedures' this is the picture that comes
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-41019309367484128682017-02-14T09:19:00.004+00:002017-02-16T11:45:52.507+00:00Getting started with a password manager and 2 Factor Authentication (2FA)
BLUF;A password manager offers some potentially useful/ essential functionality. It
is a technical tool, not a solution, and certainly not a panacea. It is impossible for the user to estimate the risks associated with its use,
making comparisons with other approaches difficult. Yubikey U2F as an approach to 2FA has some way to go before it can be considered a usable tool Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-33439962525768549652017-02-14T08:55:00.001+00:002017-02-15T08:36:12.022+00:00Passwords and usable securitySome notes on my exploration of password usability, password managers and
Two Factor Authentication (2FA).
It appears we have a problem.
"Passwords are the most prevalent form of authentication in the digital
age, and are the first line of defense against unauthorized access in most systems. Even if you are using some other form of authentication
for a particular Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-51608583152523952012016-10-02T16:06:00.003+01:002016-10-02T16:06:55.492+01:00Ergonomics of the Internet of Things - 1
BLUF; The Internet of Things (IoT) will have lots of small, low-powered devices
with complex functionality. This is a challenging context for good
ergonomics. By and large, the IoT community won't even try; they'll take the same approach to usability as they have to security. Inability to power usable file formatting is a perhaps obscure example, but a good one. Message to the engineers: Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-88610006101641949082016-09-22T10:08:00.005+01:002016-09-22T10:13:08.382+01:00What autonomous ships are really aboutIt is easy for technical people (and others) to take technical ideas
at face value. These days, this is often a serious mistake. In his
brilliant monograph 'The Epic Struggle for the Internet of Things', reviewed here,
Bruce Sterling puts us right. Google spent billions buying Nest, not
for its thermostat technology, but to stake a claim in home automation.A
technical device can be used to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-7580933001892080392016-06-17T10:01:00.005+01:002016-06-17T10:01:37.759+01:00Pre-empting Hindsight Bias in Automated Warfare"His Majesty made you a major because he believed you would know when
not to obey his orders." Prince Frederick Karl (cited by Von Moltke)
The killer robot community is debating concepts such as Meaningful Human
Control (MHC) and 'appropriate human judgment' with a view to their operationalisation in practical use. For the purpose of this post, the
various terms are Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-11703488759170707612016-01-03T13:19:00.003+00:002016-01-04T07:43:40.624+00:00Human aspects of automation - The 'Jokers' I propose four 'Jokers' to be considered in the design and operation of
automated / autonomous systems. These are not 'risks' as normally managed,
though there may be ways of managing them for people who have taken
the red pill. The Jokers are:
Affect dilemma: Users WILL attribute a personality to your system and
act on it, which may or may not match the behaviour of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-82836532791585315092015-12-30T10:26:00.000+00:002015-12-30T10:26:03.608+00:00Providing assurance of machine decision making“All Models Are Wrong But Some Are
Useful” -George Box
The aim of Human-Machine Teams (HMT) is to make rapid decisions under
changing situations characterised by uncertainty. The aim of much modern automation is to enable machines to make such decisions for use by people or other machines. The process of converting incomplete, uncertain, conflicting, context-sensitive Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-42818124893049350812015-12-20T13:14:00.002+00:002016-01-12T16:04:00.347+00:00Human Machine Teaming - Data Quality Management"A mathematician is a man who is willing to assume anything except
responsibility." (Theodore von Karman)
"Rapid, effective decision making under conditions of uncertainty
whilst retaining Meaningful Human Control (MHC)" is the sort of mantra
associated with Human Machine Teaming (HMT). A purely mathematical
approach to risk and uncertainty is unlikely to match the needs of real
world Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2724560185801358019.post-45569784956980794482015-12-11T14:16:00.003+00:002015-12-11T14:16:28.392+00:00Human-Machine Teaming - meeting the Centaur challengeAt the centre of the US DoD Third Offset is Human-Machine Teaming (HMT),
with five building blocks:
Machine Learning
Autonomy / AI
Human-Machine Collaboration
Assisted human operations
Autonomous weapons.
The analogy with Centaur Chess is a powerful one, and potentially offers
the best use for both people (H) and machines (M). However, this approach is not easy to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0