HUMAN AND COMPUTER INTERACTION – HCI -1

ASSIGNMENT #7
“What was the problem with the synthesis example comparing a command language
interface with a visual interface? Can you suggest a fix to make a visual interface really
immediately honest?”

In contrast, a command language interface requires the user to remember the directory to
which a file is moved and explicitly issue commands to browse the directory to verify that the file
has been moved. To be really sure that a move occurred, the user would also have to browse
the original directory to determine that the file was no longer there. The fallacy in this argument
is the assumption that visual file management systems always provide information about the
new whereabouts of a moved file.

We could 'fix' this problem of eventual honesty for the visual system by demanding that
the destination folder be an open folder (probably too restrictive, given the limited screen size)
or by having the destination folder temporarily open up to reveal that the file is now located
within it.