Algorithms and Interaction

"Algorithms are 'sales contracts' that deliver an output in exchange for an input, while objects are ongoing 'marriage contracts.' An object's contract with its clients specifies its behavior for all contingencies of interaction (in sickness and in health) over the lifetime of the object (till death do us part)."

Peter Wegner, "Why interaction is more powerful than algorithms," Communications of the ACM, 40(5):80-91, May 1997.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts on MuSA_RT 2.0

Image
The objective for MuSA_RT 2.0 as a holiday project was to use cutting edge software development tools and frameworks/packages to put MuSA.RT in the hands of anyone with a phone, tablet or computer (limited to the Apple ecosystem because of resource and time constraints). The version currently in the Apple App Store , although quite crude in many respects, achieves this goal, and will serve, time permitting, as a starting point for exciting explorations. 3D graphics and Augmented Reality Rendering 3D geometry that approximates the original MuSA_RT graphics was almost too easy, and as a result hasn't yet received the attention it deserves. There is much to explore and improve in terms of geometry and appearance (materials and lighting), and then efficiency. Similarly, the Augmented Reality (AR) mode is but a bare proof of concept, which only sets the stage for exciting explorations. The first question is of course: what, if anything, can an AR experience of MuSA_RT bring to the pe
Read more

Priorities App 2.0

Image
Simply manage lists of prioritized items The second iteration of the Priorities App pushes further the minimalistic UX design and adds a new feature: lists of lists. I presented the motivation behind the app and the design of the first version in a previous post . Priorities App 2.0 is  available for download on the App Store . The home screen looks exactly the same as in the first iteration. The model is completely backward compatible, and users who do not need the lists of lists feature will not even be aware of it. This was a strong design requirement for 2.0. The new feature is the ability to define inclusion relationships between any one item and any number of other existing items. From a user perspective, this mechanism provides a way to organize items hierarchically. Technically, it only amounts to a display/navigation convenience, as the underlying model is still a single master list of items.  In practice an item can be a "subitem" of any existing item. This also m
Read more
Every step is a first step if it's a step in the right direction. - Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight
Read more