> Here's the problem with this as I see it: What if what the majority of
> our users want is simply "more, easy, fast, and fun". Are there any
> long-term consequences for these kinds of attitudes? What about social
> responsibility on our part? And what about the minority that has the
> education, means, and desire to still really suck it up and perhaps do
> some serious research - to find what we know aren't always easy answers
> (simply Google-style "information quick")
>
> Re: "what users want", Birger Hjorland points out what I think is a very
> important truth that we may fear sounds too "elitist", and hence may not
> often want to consider: "A given document may be relevant to a given
> purpose, whether or not the user believes this to be so."
I said need, not want.
It's interesting how the observation that design should start from user need
and work backwards from there often quickly devolves into a concern that we
might dumb down high-level information discovery to the point where, who
knows, anyone could do it.
This goes back to my recurring nightmare: a car designed by librarians.
(Perhaps a Hugo crossed with a Pinto, priced like a high-end SUV.)
Karen G. Schneider
kgs_at_bluehighways.com
Received on Fri Apr 27 2007 - 09:04:12 EDT