Activities that Illustrate Human Perception and Principles of DesignHumorInformation Mapping - Show Me
Highly Recommended - This is an excellent exercise for demonstrating the clear advantages of structuring the presentation of information using the information mapping technique. (1999-12-27)ESP (Extrasensory Perception) EPSS
This page contains a demonstration of a breakthrough extrasensory perception (ESP) EPSS. Software that knows what you are thinking. Is it possible? You be the judge. (Nov-27-98)Adventures in Technology
The Gateway SIGCHI site contains a simulation of a vehicle clock. It's a good example of how unusable some products can be. Try to figure how the set the clock on your own and then read the instructions. This is a great little interactive example that can help you teach others about the importance of design. (1999-09-05)Pick A Number
This is an interesting exercise that illustrates the nature of human perception. (Dec-13-98)How Many
An interesting exercise that illustrates the nature of human cognition. (Dec-13-98)Exercise
An interesting exercise that illustrates the nature of human cognition. (Dec-13-98)SHOULD MY LOVED ONE BE PLACED IN AN ASSISTED COMPUTING FACILITY?
Satirewire: For family members, it is often the most difficult and painful decision they will face: to accept that a loved one — a parent, a spouse, perhaps a sibling — is technologically impaired and should no longer be allowed to live independently, or come near a computer or electronic device without direct supervision. The time has come to place that loved one into the care of an Assisted Computing Facility. But you have questions. So many questions. We at Silicon Pines want to help.CUBISTS LAUNCH UNNAVIGABLE WEB SITE
The International Society of Cubists officially launched its Web site today, a brilliant rejection of natural form and perspective that metaphysically establishes the implication of movement, analytically redefines spatial relationships, and is an absolute bitch to navigate. (2001-04-29)Actual Reality
The Onion: Despite the computer's ability to fulfill virtually every human need, human interaction is still occasionally necessary and unavoidable during the course of a day's computing. Here are some tips to help you navigate through the often-bewildering world of "Actual Reality" (2001-04-22)Office Clippy
You got to admire a company who can poke fun at itself. This site pokes fun at the clippy character that appeared in previous version of Microsoft Office. The site includes animated cartoons, a clippy blues song and a game. You can even vote for Clippy's fate. The site heavily promotes the Office XP, but it is very funny. (2001-04-15)'Automatic Professor Machine' Is Unveiled -- by a Longtime Technology Critic
Chronicles of Higher Education: A longtime technology critic has fashioned a prototype of a device that he says could do away with traditional colleges and teachers, replacing them with knowledge-dispensing terminals that look like A.T.M.'s. The fictional device, called the Automatic Professor Machine, spoofs the ever-rising wave of education-technology products on college campuses. (2001-02-25)useit.competition: Redesign Contest
The useit.competition is a mental exersize in the form of a public contest for the complete redesign of the world famous website useit.com. Links to contestants (and even entries) will be posted in this space as soon as we get them. It's an open, friendly contest, and early arrivers will be able to edit and improve their designs until the very end. We'd prefer to see development happening out in the open. (2000-11-12)BuzzPhraserTM A TechnoLatin phrase generator
BuzzPhrases are built with TechnoLatin, a non-language that replaces plain English nouns with vague but precise-sounding substitutes. In TechnoLatin, a disk drive is a "data management solution." A phone is a "telecommunications device."TechnoSpeak
Go to the article Mastering the New TechnoSpeak for definitions of the latest new terms, like A-to-A, VSP, M-commerce. Or use the Web Economy Bullshit Generator to create your own new and sexy technospeak, like "engage virtual infomediaries" or "disintermediate out-of-the-box architectures" (2000-10-15)Nuclear Web Site Slammed for More-Than-Three-Click Interface
The website interface to the nuclear arsenal of the USA is to be completely re-written from scratch following an assessment by usability guru Jakob Nielsen last week." (2000-10-08)A parody of the Microsoft Office interface
If Dr. Seuss Shopped on the Net... One link two link, red link blue link
Oh my gosh here comes a new link
This click that click, here click there click
Huh? click HELP! clickJakob Nielsen Shortbread Cookies
Rudy Park - Cartoons about the world of high tech
vestige.org: useless information technology
A parody of Jakob Nielsen's Useit.com Web site. (2000-07-30)epsych: Journey's into the World of the Mind
This site is designed to teach about psychological processes in a rich experiential setting. (2000-05-15)If OS's Ran the Airlines
Mac Airlines - All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don't need to know, don't want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up. (2000-04-02)Who Wants to Marry a Software Engineer?
Hot on the heels of the success of the show, "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" welcome to "Who Wants to Marry a Software Engineer?" Silicon Valley's newest game show. (2000-03-19)Dave Berry on Smart Appliances
As for a scale that transmits our weight to the gym: Are they nuts? We don't want our weight transmitted to our own eyeballs! What if the gym decided to transmit our weight to all these other appliances on the Internet? What if, God forbid, our refrigerator found out what our weight was? We'd never get the door open again! (2000-03-12)The usable planet
"Take a look into the future, a future that doesn't need usability experts anymore...!" (1999-11-22)What if Speech Were First?
This is a parody of a Salon Magazine review of speech recognitions technology. The parody is a review of key-bored technology from the perspective that speech recognition technology is already the primary method for interacting with computers. (1999-11-15)Just for fun: Two animated cartoons.
A bug that does more than bite the Y2K bug and a user solution for the PC Usability Problem . (1999-11-07)Dr. Seuss explains why computers sometimes crash
If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port, And the bus is interrupted as a very last resort...Usability by Design - Interface Design Quotes
A page of quotable quotes on user interface design and software development, including this one by Andy Rooney: "Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make easier to do don't need to be done" (1999-10-10)User Friendly - The Comic Strip
"What do you get when you put three techs, two salespeople, a designer, two executives and a couple of administrative staff together in an office? Answer: Columbia Internet, the friendliest, hardest-working and most neurotic little Internet Service Provider in the world. Throw in a mischievous Artificial Intelligence and a naive but curious Dust Puppy, and you have the makings of USER FRIENDLY, the chronicle of a group of well-meaning but misguided Internet workers."(1999-08-22)
Computer Jokes
This page contains numerous jokes and humorous stories about computers and technology. (Oct-23-98)Haiku Error Messages
This "just for fun" link contains a list of the winners of a Salon Magazine challenge to write a Haiku style computer error messages. (Updated Oct-23-98)Pat's Computer Jokes
Take the trip to the humors side of technology and have a relaxing break. (Dec-06-98)Silicon Valley Tarot Cards
On this site, you can view or order a tarot card set that is based on technology related characters and events. You can even get an online tarot card reading. (Dec-05-98)
