Celebrating the mundane + rhetorical theory + a reverence for technology = my kind of conversation.
An anecdote:
Lindsay's sister came to visit over the summer. Lindsay was excited about having her sister stay, but she wasn't sure what food she would serve during their weekend together. Hers is a vegetarian household, and the addition of a meat-eater (her sister) was making her a little anxious. Thoughtfully, she decided to make a special meal that her sister would like. In preparation, she read step-by-step instructions on how to cook chicken. She spent long minutes standing in the poultry section of the grocery store, deliberating over which chicken breast looked like it would taste the best (I know this because I found her there, several packages of chicken in hand). She purchased the chicken, took it home, and cooked it to the best of her limited abilities... later, I asked her how the weekend went. Sheepishly, she informed me that her efforts were for naught, as her sister really just wanted to eat pancakes.
While I was reading Johnson's book, I was reminded of Lindsay's chicken-cooking adventure. Like Lindsay, the people who develop technology often have their hearts and minds in the right place -- they want to make something that the users will find familiar and enjoy. Johnson's argument is developers need to focus on creating truly user-centered technologies. Too much of the technology that has been/is being produced is system-centered or merely user-friendly. Johnson suggests users, as the people actually using the technology, need to become active participants in the development process as consultants and collaborators.
Some questions:
Can developers ever really divorce themselves enough from their own knowledge to inhabit the perspective of user? They are still users, right?
Does technology create the culture, or does the culture create the technology? (more chicken)
To what extent are users responsible for remaining conscious while using technology?
WTF:
I had very few WTF moments while reading this peace. I credit that to Johnson's ability to write clearly and explain concepts in a thorough, yet manageable way.
