Human-Computer Interaction: a Blessing and a Curse

 Most likely every computer user has been in a situation where they do not know what the computer is trying to "tell" them or do not know how to respond. Sometimes, Google can be a great help for finding the meaning of different error codes or for solving other issues. Our everyday HCI problems are usually minor, the only consequence being loss of a few minutes for the mortal computer user.

There was a radiation therapy device which was used on cancer patients called Therac-25. It had many flaws, including the fact that there was no way to tell whether the sensors were working correctly, or what the error messages meant. There were no instructions on what the error messages meant in the manual either. Due to unspecified software errors, some patients were given huge doses of radiation. There were also cases where the patient received an inappropriately large amount of radiation, however, the machine indicated that no radiation had been given and thus the operator repeated the process, giving another massive dose of radiation to the patient. In total, at least 3 patients died as a direct result. However, this story should not be to further frighten those who are afraid of doctors - it took place in the 1980s. It is merely a cautionary tale of what happens when things are not properly thought trough and not tested enough.

It was much harder to find a success story, where HCI was developed in such a way that it helped to prevent major harm. I suppose that simply proves my point that HCI mostly goes unnoticed (it is almost natural and feels like an extension of the person), only when something does not work it is very much noted and recorded.

Thus, I decided to give an example from my own life. Obviously, I have never been in charge of operating a life-altering machine such as the Therac-25. 

When playing a game, one of the biggest factors in me liking the game are the sounds. Are they annoying or satisfying? How much can they be changed? And thus, I just have to proclaim my love for Minecraft. The sound of placing blocks, how each different block makes a different noise. How easy it is to create something in general, the whole game requires minimal amount of previous gaming experience. Nowadays, Minecraft even has built-in tutorials. And the satisfying experience has "saved" my life in the way that it really helped me relax and do something that felt meaningful to me at the time. I used to really enjoy creating fields of wheat: hoeing the field, placing water and seeds. All those sounds are very satisfying to me to this day. Although, my favorite sound is probably the sound of picking up items.

A Minecraft Farm in Making (featuring a hedgehog)

 

Sources

Therac-25: https://archive.org/details/giftoffiresocial0000baas_r4k3/page/424/mode/2up