bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception of the role of information technology function in organizations
Authors: Ramakrishna H. V. , Lin X.
Published: January 2007

The role (and impact) of IT/IS in organizations is becoming more and more critical. The perception of the "role of IT/IS function in an organization" could have a direct impact on the effectiveness of development of IT capabilities. There has been no measure to date to capture this perception in an organization at the individual level. This paper reports the development of a scale to measure "the perception of the role of IT/IS function in organizations." Three independent studies involving more than 200 participants provided initial evidence of the construct validity of the new measure with respect to its factor structure, validity, and reliability. The paper discusses the preliminary development of the measure and its implications for the IT development environment/ effort in organizations.
Web switch support for differentiated services
Authors: Cardellini Valeria , Casalicchio Emiliano , Colajanni Michele , Mambelli Marco
Published: January 2007

As the Web is becoming a medium widely used as a preferential channel for critical information exchange, business, and e-commerce, it is necessary to enable differentiated service mechanisms not only at the network but also at the Web server level. In this paper, we propose the concept of
Quality of Web Services
(QoWS), which is inspired by the basic principles of network QoS, while looking at the server components of the Web system. In particular, we analyze how QoWS principles can be realized in a Web site hosted on a Web-server cluster that is, an architecture composed by multiple Web servers locally distributed and a single front-end node, called a Web switch. We propose a new centralized policy, namely
DynamicPartitioning,
which satisfies through dynamic server partition all basic QoS principles for a Web switch working at application level. We compare it against other proposed classes of policies which implement part or all of basic QoS principles. We demonstrate through a large set of simulation experiments under a realistic workload model that DynamicPartitioning always achieves superior performance for the high service class, at the price of some penalty for low service classes.
Trigger-based distributed QoS routing in mobile ad hoc networks
Authors: De Swades , Das Sajal K. , Wu Hongyi , Qiao Chunming
Published: January 2007

Performance of existing routing protocols in mobile ad hoc networks for real-time applications is limited by high control traffic and database maintenance overhead. We observe that by proper coupling of nodal mobility and location information, real-time applications can be served with limited control traffic and database requirements. In this paper, we investigate a
trigger-based
(on-demand)
distributed
routing protocol, called TDR, for supporting real-time applications in mobile ad hoc networks. For increased resource efficiency, the nodal database size is reduced by maintaining only the local neighborhood information. Only one route per session is maintained and the reroute routine is invoked before any active link fails. In addition, by making efficient use of the location information, the control overhead for rerouting is further reduced. Our evaluation shows that the TDR protocol provides better QoS and requires lower control overhead compared to the other existing real-time QoS aware ad hoc routing protocols.
The gray zone problem in IEEE 802.11b based ad hoc networks
Authors: Lundgren Henrik , Nordstrom Erik , Tschudin Christian
Published: January 2007

Our experiments with IEEE 802.11b based wireless ad hoc networks show that neighbor sensing with broadcast messages introduces "communication gray zones": in such zones data messages cannot be exchanged although the
HELLO
messages indicate neighbor reachability. This leads to a systematic mismatch between the route state and the real world connectivity, resulting in disruptive behavior. Concentrating on AODV we explore this issue and present three different techniques to overcome the gray zone problem.
Geometric completion of differential systems using numeric-symbolic continuation
Authors: Reid Greg , Smith Chris , Verschelde Jan
Published: January 2007

Symbolic algorithms using a finite number of exact differentiations and eliminations are able to reduce over and under-determined systems of polynomially nonlinear differential equations to involutive form. The output involutive form enables the identification of consistent initial values, and eases the application of exact or numerical integration methods.Motivated to avoid expression swell of pure symbolic approaches and with the desire to handle systems with approximate coefficients, we propose the use of homotopy continuation methods to perform the differential-elimination process on such non-square systems. Examples such as the classic index 3 Pendulum illustrate the new procedure. Our approach uses slicing by random linear subspaces to intersect its jet components in finitely many points. Generation of enough generic points enables irreducible jet components of the differential system to be interpolated.
Power conservation strategy for mobile computers using load sharing
Authors: Othman Mazliza , Hailes Stephen
Published: January 2007

Power management is an important aspect of mobile computing. Previous works on power conservation have concentrated on the hardware approach. In this paper, we propose a different approach of power conservation strategy for mobile computers which is based on the concept of load sharing. User jobs are transferred from a mobile host to a fixed host to reduce power consumption by the CPU. Simulation results show that under suitable conditions, transferring job can extend battery lifetime by up to 20%. Transferring jobs to a fixed host does not only extend battery lifetime but also gives users access to faster machines, hence improving job response time.
Mobile ad hoc networking and the IETF
Authors: Macker Joseph P. , Corson M. Scott
Published: January 2007

This article provides a snapshot of work underway within the Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANET) Working Group of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The article presents some issues currently under discussion on the MANET mailing list, and also summarizes the proceedings of the last MANET WG meeting.
Tutorial
Authors: Kramer Kwindla Hultman , Minar Nelson , Maes Pattie
Published: January 2007

As portable digital devices of all kinds proliferate, wireless networks that allow for flexible, timely and efficient data communication become more and more important. Networks for mobile devices are quite difficult to design for several reasons, chief among them the problem of routing packets across networks characterized by constantly changing topology. In this article we describe ways to address the routing problem using a new technique for 'distributed programming, mobile software agents.
A new hybrid broadcast scheduling algorithm for asymmetric communication systems
Authors: Guo Yufei , Pinotti M. Cristina , Das Sajal K.
Published: January 2007

It is believed that broadcast is an efficient way to transmit data in an asymmetric communication system. Most of the previous work focused on either pull-based or push-based scheduling. However, for systems with a very large number of data items, none of these schemes is efficient individually. We propose a novel hybrid scheduling algorithm which uses both pull- and push-based schemes. In our approach, data items are divided, by a suitable cut-off point, into two disjoint sets: one consisting of more-popular items and the other of less-popular items. The items in the former set are broadcast by a push-based schedule, while those in the latter set by a pull-based schedule. A cut-off point is said to be optimal when it minimizes the expected access time in the system. The optimal cut-off point is derived analytically and validated by simulation experiments. Results show that the proposed hybrid push- and pull-based scheduling performs always better than a pure push-based scheduling and improves on the expected access time of an existing hybrid scheduling scheme.
Recursive and iterative algorithms for the tower of hanoi puzzle
Authors: Smillie K. W.
Published: January 2007

This paper presents two APL functions, one recursive and the other iterative, for the Tower of Hanoi puzzle.
The design of APL
Authors: Falkoff A. D. , Iverson K. E.
Published: January 2007

This paper discusses the development of APL, emphasizing and illustrating the principles underlying its design. The principle of simplicity appears most strongly in the minimization of rules governing the behavior of APL objects, while the principle of practicality is served by the design process itself, which relies heavily on experimentation. The paper gives the rationale for many specific design choices, including the necessary adjuncts for system management.
The extension of APL to treelike data structures
Authors: Haegi Hans R.
Published: January 2007

The purpose of this paper is to ensure the existence of an axiom system which---contrary to [2]---leads to a uniform behaviour of all generalized arrays including basic scalars with respect to the function seal (enclose). The extension described hereafter takes up most of the ideas laid down in [1], but deviates from them in some respects while including additional tools and concepts such as---canonical tree representation of arrays---virtual indexing (indexing outside the index domain of an array)---a new concept for indexing including---virtual indexing---slice indexing, based on the outer product with respect to catenation---path indexing---an operator called composition operator (a generalization of reduction)---composition of operatorsFurthermore, the paper includes as a substantial part a simulation of a model of extended
APL
, as seen from an algebraic point of view. The model, intended as a working tool, was developed by the author at the Berufsförderungswerk in Heidelberg, Germany, and is contained in a workspace called HEIDELTREE.On the following pages I state the essential ideas in an informal way giving examples rather than definitions, but including the motivations for the reasoning whenever feasible in short terms.
Notation for complex "part" functions
Authors: Penfield Paul
Published: January 2007

Five proposals are presented for denoting the real part, imaginary part, magnitude, and phase of complex numbers in
APL
. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a discussion in the
APL
community before the appearance of the first implementation of complex
APL
renders such a discussion academic.
Design choices for complex APL
Authors: Penfield Paul
Published: January 2007

This is the third and last paper in a series discussing the major design choices for APL to handle complex numbers. These papers are intended to stimulate a discussion in the APL community before the first implementation of complex numbers in APL renders such a discussion academic.
Definitions for fuzzy floor and ceiling
Authors: Breed Lawrence M.
Published: January 2007

The new definition of the fuzzed Floor and Ceiling functions in IBM APL systems is presented and is shown to be superior to previous definitions. The mathematical properties of all four definitions are compared, and "fuzz graphs" display the differences in the definitions. Implementation considerations are discussed.
Name scope control in APL defined functions
Authors: Seeds G. M. , Arpin A. , LaBarre M.
Published: January 2007

The notion of LOCAL versus GLOBAL scope for names used inside defined functions has always been a source of problems in teaching and using APL, largely because it is an incomplete concept. An expanded concept is discussed in this paper, along with a proposal for implementation, which exhaustively specifies all possible scopes.
Design of a structured APL
Authors: Kemp Franklin
Published: January 2007

A Structured APL language (SAPL) is suggested to provide structured programming in APL. The feature of SAPL is an APL preprocessor that interprets Edsger Dijkstra's
IF-FI
and
DO-OD
structured program constructs to achieve program flow in APL. The flavor of SAPL is given in several examples.
Operators in an APL containing nested arrays
Authors: Jenkins M. A. , Michel Jean
Published: January 2007

Formal definitions of several functions and operators for manipulating nested arrays are presented. Three operators that control the application of a function to the items or groups of items of an array are defined. In addition, the definition of current APL operators is extended to nested arrays. A proposal is presented to accept some of the ideas for the present APL and others for an APL extended to include heterogeneous nested arrays.
The householder algorithm and applications
Authors: Helzer Garry
Published: January 2007

An APL implementation of the Householder algorithm for the QR-factorization of a general matrix is given. Applications of the algorithm to the solution of underdetermined linear systems are given. The applications involve ordinary solutions, least squares solutions, and mixed ordinary least squares solutions.The QR-algorithm for estimating the eigenvalues of a matrix is not discussed; however the algorithm presented here can be used as a utility function for the QR-algorithm.
An APL algorithm for finding the generalized inverse of a matrix
Authors: Sarachik P. E. , Özgüner Ü.
Published: January 2007

An algorithm is given for obtaining the generalized inverse of a matrix by first transforming it into products of matrices with linearly independent rows or columsn. The algorithm was developed for use with the APL primitive function domino ( ). A program written in APL is included.
Introducing modules into APL
Authors: Ching Wai-Mee
Published: January 2007

First we discuss the need for a language construct in APL to facilitate modular construction of large programs. Then, a construct called a module, with proposed syntax and semantic rules, is introduced as a needed addition to APL. A small example is used to illustrate how the new language construct can play its intended role.
Strands or lists?
Authors: Mercer Randall
Published: January 2007

This paper compares strands with lists as a suitable notational extension of APL. Lists are shown to be superior.
New control structures in APL?
Authors: van Batenburg F. H. D.
Published: January 2007

A recurring subject of new proposals is implementation of the control structures seen in conventional languages:---statement grouping---conditional execution, simple (IF-statement) and compound (IF-ELSE and CASE constructions)---loopsIt is however not self-evident that there is an equally great need for each of them. This paper proposes to modify the question "do we need control structures in APL" into, "Which of the generally employed control structures do we need, like, or leave?" Based on the criteria:---clarity in showing scope of effect---suppression of detail in favor of overall aim---sufficient frequency of useit will be shown that some control structures are needed and others are not.
On the stability of network distance estimation
Authors: Chen Yan , Lim Khian Hao , Katz Randy H. , Overton Chris
Published: January 2007

Overlay network distance monitoring and estimation system can benefit many new applications and services, such as peer-to-peer overlay routing and location. However, there is a lack of such scalable system with small overhead, good usability, and good distance estimation accuracy and stability. Thus we propose a scalable overlay distance monitoring system,
Internet Iso-bar
, which clusters hosts based on the similarity of their perceived network distance, with no assumption about the underlying network topology. The centers of each cluster are then chosen as monitors to represent their clusters for probing and distance estimation. We compare it with other network distance estimation systems, such as Global Network Positioning (GNP) [1]. Internet Iso-bar is easy to implement and use, and has good scalability and small communication and computation cost for online monitoring. Preliminary evaluation on real Internet measurement data also shows that Internet Iso-bar has high prediction accuracy and stability. Finally, by adjusting the number of clusters, we can smoothly trade off the measurement and management cost for better distance estimation accuracy and stability.
Is APL really processing arrays?
Authors: Jordan Kevin E.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes a study of the performance of APL. The study was carried out by placing code in an existing APL interpreter (APLUM running on a CDC CYBER 175 computer) to monitor the distribution of data types, element counts, and ranks of arrays. The effect of reference counts on data blocks was also monitored. Although the results of the study may not be surprising, they are very interesting. For example, it turns out that nearly half of all allocations of data are made for scalars or one-element vectors, and that although the over-all average number of elements in APL arrays is 30, most users achieve average element counts of around 10. From these figures, it can be shown that set-up time dominates the execution of APL expressions.
A formula for separating small roots of a polynomial
Authors: Sasaki Tateaki , Terui Akira
Published: January 2007

Let
P(x)
be a univariate polynomial over C, such that

P(x) = c
n
x
n
+ ... + c
m+1
x
m+1
+ x
m
+ e
m-1
x
m-1
+ ... + e
0
,

where max{

|c
n
|, ..., |c
m+1
|

} = 1 and
e
= max{

|e
m-1
|, |e
m-2
|
1/2
, ..., |e
0
|
1/m

} << 1.
P(x)
has
m
small roots around the origin so long as
e
<< 1. In 1999, we derived a formula that if
e
< 1/9 then
P(x)
has
m
roots inside a disc
D
in
of radius
R
in
and other
n - m
roots outside a disc
D
out
of radius
R
out
, located at the origin, where
R
in(out)
= [1 - (+) √1 - (16
e
)/(1 + 3
e
)
2
] × (1 + 3
e
)/4. Note that
R
in
=
R
out
if
e
= 1/9. Our formula is essentially the same as that derived independently by Yakoubsohn at almost the same time. In this short article, we introduce the formula and check its sharpness on many polynomials generated randomly.
Complex systems in APL
Authors: Alfonseca Manuel , Ortega Alfonso , de la Cruz Marina
Published: January 2007

We have been working for several years on the representation, study and simulation of complex systems by means of formal methods. APL2 and other programming languages have been used to develop our tools and experiments. This paper summarizes our APL2 works on fractal sets, automatic programming of cellular automata and simulation of multi agent systems.
SmartArrays for the APL programmer
Authors: Brown James A. , Wheeler James G.
Published: January 2007

The SmartArrays Software Develop Kit (SDK) is a technology that provides APL-style multi-dimensional nested array operations in traditional languages like C++ and Java. Using the syntax of the host language, SmartArrays provides a multi-dimensional array class with methods which include the traditional APL array operations but which are augmented with many additional methods. This paper shows use of the SmartArrays SDK by example and compares it to traditional APL.
Using an APL approach with Java
Authors: Burchfield Joseph , Lipovaca Samir
Published: January 2007

Three Java examples are developed to advance an APL approach in reducing conceptual intricacies in Java programming. The key part of these examples is a new Java class named APL. By making an instance of this class, a programmer is in a position to call appropriate APL primitive functions and operators to process data. In other words, a programmer is able to think in terms of arrays while programming in Java. All sample code is written in Java. The goal is to eventually implement all APL primitive functions and operators in this new APL class following the Linux paradigm of contributions from many authors.
Dialog template description tool
Authors: Saigusa Kyosuke , Saigusa Yoshinori
Published: January 2007

Application end-user interface normally required by industries can be programmed using mainly AP124 and AP145 in IBM APL2 for Windows. AP124, however, does not support Japanese language in Windows environments. This forces us to depend more on AP145. This tool aims at providing APL2 programmers with a better tool than the Dialog Editor provided as a component of the IBM APL2 product to create and maintain AP145 dialog templates.
Jottings from the business intelligence jungle
Authors: Selby David
Published: January 2007

This paper examines some of the big hitting issues in the business intelligence world and shows how APL remains a key component in the resolution of these issues. It also suggests areas where APL could fill new voids that require flexible development environments. Like in the film 'Tron', where APL played a quiet but key role, in business intelligence you can see it still plays a quiet but key role.
The instruction parsing microarchitecture of CVAX microprocessor
Authors: Archer David W.
Published: January 2007

CVAX is a single chip, CMOS VLSI VAX microprocessor. Several microarchitectural innovations helped achieve the desired performance goal of this machine. In particular, the instruction parsing and prefetching mechanism is different from other VAX implementations. This new instruction parsing microarchitecture is discussed in this paper.
A Note on Division of Positive Integers
Authors: Wilson Fred
Published: January 2007

At the risk of flaunting a marginal grasp of the obvious I would like to make a few observations on the division of fixed point numbers.
File directory transmission via electronic mail
Authors: Wyle M. F.
Published: January 2007

A portable program to package, compress, document, transmit, and re-assemble multiple files in a B-tree directory structure is presented. The program preserves the structure, mode, protection, ownership, and integrity of all files and subdirectories. The algorithm and implementation are described in detail.
Computer viruses: can it happen at IU?
Authors: Sheehan Mark
Published: January 2007

In the past few months, the popular press has been full of articles about "computer viruses." The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and any number of university computer center newsletters have featured stories on these diseases and others. While there have been no reports of computer viruses breaking out on the Bloomington campus of IU, it's important that our computing community be aware of them and take as many practical steps as possible to protect itself from them. The probability that a serious computer disease will eventually break out on our campus is high.
The empirical study of knowledge elicitation techniques
Authors: Shadbolt Nigel , Burton A. Mike
Published: January 2007

This article reports on work conducted at Nottingham University to investigate the utility and efficacy of selected knowledge elicitation (KE) techniques. The experimental approach taken to this research is advanced as a necessary and essential part of the process of coming to understand how to make acquisition more tractable. We discuss the results of our work and possible implications for programmes of acquisition. We also describe the assumptions implicit in our work and the attendant caveats that have to be borne in mind.
Acquiring knowledge by explaining observed problem solving
Authors: Martin J. D. , Redmond M.
Published: January 2007

Learning by Understanding Explanations (LBUE) can be an important tool for automatic knowledge acquisition in diagnostic domains. It takes fuller advantage of an expert's knowledge than some more automatic approaches and uses model-based reasoning to reduce brittleness. LBUE specifically integrates the learning of efficiency information as in Explanation Based Generalization (EBG) with further learning of the causal model. Expert protocols are coded into a machine readable form and then input to the LBUE process. The result of learning is that the system becomes capable of solving the same problem in the future and is also able to apply any newly learned causal model information to novel but similar cases.
A knowledge acquisition tool for decision support systems
Authors: Brown D. J.H.
Published: January 2007

A non-deterministic tabular representation for decision-making criteria is described and related to decision trees and production rules. Its advantages as a knowledge acquisition tool are discussed and illustrated in the context of prototyping an electronic assistant for steel production planners.
The design and applications of a context service
Authors: Lei Hui , Sow Daby M. , Davis John S. , Banavar Guruduth , Ebling Maria R.
Published: January 2007

Context awareness enables applications to adapt themselves to their computing environment in order to better suit the needs of the user and the tasks. This paper describes a general middleware infrastructure for context collection and dissemination, realized as a Context Service. By way of two example applications, this paper also illustrates how context information provided by our context service can be exploited to enhance the user experience. These two applications are built upon the abstraction provided by the Context Service and thus help validate the design of this service. The first application, a Notification Dispatcher, uses context to route messages to the most appropriate communication device for a recipient. The second application, a context-aware content distribution system, uses context to predict users' access to web content, and uses these predictions to pre-process and pre-distribute content in order to reduce the access latency.
Proem
Authors: Kortuem Gerd
Published: January 2007

The combination of personal mobile devices and mobile ad-hoc networks enables the creation of mobile peer-to-peer systems in which mobile peers establish peering relationships over wireless links based on proximity. In this paper, we discuss challenges of mobile peer-to-peer middleware and present the Proem mobile peer-to-peer platform.
A prolog simulation for a Delphi-based problem solver
Authors: Elmaghraby Adel S.
Published: January 2007

Expert systems model human beings in problem solving. This paper presents an approach for building distributed expert systems, modelled after human group decision making. The Delphi technique for group decision making has been used to present two alternative approaches. A solution integration approach and a model integration approach are discussed. A Prolog simulation of the Delphi problem solver demonstrates these concepts.
Proposal for a geometric algebra software package
Authors: Havel T. F. , Sturmfels B. , White N.
Published: January 2007

A workshop on
Symbolic Computations in Geometry
held in October 1987 at the I.M.A. (University of Minnesota) dealt with the use of coordinate-free algebra in computational geometry, with a particular emphasis on Cayley-Grassmann algebra and bracket algebra [2]. Besides being mathematically elegant and computationally competative to the usual coordinate algebra, these methods are extremely useful tools for a variety of applications, e.g. in mathematical physics [5], biochemistry [3] or structural rigidity [8].
Summary of Fortran 88
Authors: Meissner Loren P.
Published: January 2007

The first part of this Fortran 88 Summary, through Section 4 in the following outline, appears in this issue. The next issue of Fortran Forum will continue with new features in the area of Data Types (including Structures and Arrays).
Seven experiences with contextual field research
Authors: Good M.
Published: January 2007

Contextual field research is a growing area of interest in human-computer interaction. At the CHI '88 conference, Karen Holtzblatt, Sandy Jones, and myself hosted a Special Interest Group on "Field Research Techniques for Building Usable Products." This overview of seven different experiences with contextual field research techniques grew out of the network we established at the conference.These contributions show a wide range of experience with contextual field research, including its use in academic research and the design of diverse computer products. We hope that this snapshot of contextual field work in mid-1988 may excite your curiosity about what may be possible from this perspective, currently out of the mainstream of human-computer interaction research. The bibliography at the end of this article includes sources for more information on contextual methods, as well as references from the individual contributions.
Modes survey results
Authors: Johnson J. , Engelbeck G.
Published: January 2007

Though user-interface researchers and designers give similar definitions for the concept of modes in interactive systems and devices, informal evidence suggests that they don't always agree on whether or not particular interfaces are moded. A survey was conducted to determine the extent to which this is true. The results show that there is widespread disagreement among UI designers and researchers about what modes are, independent of the issue of how modes affect users.
Programmable user models for predictive evaluation of interface designs
Authors: Young R. M. , Green T. R. G. , Simon T.
Published: January 2007

A Programmable User Model (PUM) is a psychologically constrained architecture which an interface designer is invited to program to simulate a user performing a range of tasks with a proposed interface. It provides a novel way of conveying psychological considerations to the designer, by involving the designer in the process of making predictions of usability. Development of the idea leads to a complementary perspective, of the PUM as an interpreter for an “instruction language”. The methodology used in this research involves the use of concrete HCI scenarios to assess different approaches to cognitive modelling. The research findings include analyses of the cognitive processes involved in the use of interactive computer systems, and a number of issues to be resolved in future cognitive models.
LIZA: an extensible groupware toolkit
Authors: Gibbs S. J.
Published: January 2007

Software for supporting groups of cooperating users —
groupware
— raises a number of new issues in user interface design. This paper gives a definition of groupware and presents a model of group tools based on
active objects
. The model has been applied to the design and implementation of an extensible groupware toolkit known as LIZA. The paper describes the architecture of LIZA. Examples of group tools running under LIZA are used to illustrate some of the problems in the design of multi-user interfaces.
Collaboration in KMS, a shared hypermedia system
Authors: Yoder E. , Akscyn R. , McCracken D.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes how we use a hypermedia system (KMS) for our collaborative work. Based on our experience with KMS and our previous research with the ZOG system at Carnegie Mellon University, we believe that a shared-database hypermedia system provides a powerful foundation for collaboration. In this paper, we show how the shared-database capability of KMS, plus particular aspects of its data model, address six of the fundamental issues facing designers of collaborative work systems.
What is EuroParc?
Authors: Moran T. P.
Published: January 2007

EuroPARC is a systems research laboratory supported by Rank Xerox Limited and allied with the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The decision to create EuroPARC was announced in November of 1986, and the lab was officially dedicated in June of 1988. EuroPARC's research charter is human-computer interaction. The research program is coordinated with PARC's, but the goal is to combine PARC-style systems research with European points of view, issues, and approaches.
Inducing programs in a direct-manipulation environment
Authors: Maulsby D. L. , Witten I. H.
Published: January 2007

End users who need to program within highly interactive direct-manipulation interfaces should be able to communicate their intentions through concrete demonstration rather than in terms of symbolic abstraction. This paper describes a system that learns procedures in interactive graphics taught to it “by example” by minimally trained users. It shows how techniques of machine learning and reactive interfaces can support one another—the former providing generalization heuristics to identify constraints implicit in user actions, the latter offering immediate feedback to help the user clarify hidden constraints and correct errors before they are planted into the procedure. The teacher's attention is focused on the learning system's perceptual and inferential shortcomings through a metaphorical apprentice called Metamouse, which generalizes action sequences on the fly and eagerly carries out any actions it can predict. The success of the induction process is assessed quantitatively by counting erroneous predictions made during example tasks.
Responding to :20HUH?”: answering vaguely articulated follow-up questions
Authors: Moore J. D.
Published: January 2007

Expert and advice-giving systems produce complex multi-sentential responses to user's queries. Results from analyses of novice/expert dialogues indicate that novices often do not understand an expert's response and rarely ask a well-formulated follow-up question. Thus systems must be able to provide further information in response to vaguely articulated questions. However, current systems cannot clarify misunderstood explanations or elaborate on previous explanations. In this paper we describe an approach to explanation generation that expands a system's explanatory capabilities and enables the production of clarifying or elaborating explanations in response to follow-up questions or indication that the explanation was not understood.
Bat brushes: on the uses of six position and orientation parameters in a paint program
Authors: Ware C. , Baxter C.
Published: January 2007

A geometry is described for converting hand position and orientation into six useful variables for computer input. The application is that of controlling form and color in an experimental computer “paint” program. We find that the most easily controlled parameters of hand placement are x,y and z cartesian coordinates and a twist parameter which approximates the wrist action that occurs when a dial is turned.

The two remaining parameters are horizontal and vertical wrist rotations. In order to capture these it is necessary to correct for the rotation about the elbow which naturally occurs when the hand is translated. However, these two parameters are difficult to control independently of hand translations. Computer paint “brushes” are described which allow the real-time control of size, color and position on the screen using the hand parameters described.
Systemic implications of leap and an improved two-part cursor
Authors: Raskin J.
Published: January 2007

The lowly text cursor is a non-issue for most interface designers. Nonetheless, current text cursor designs suffer from at least two problems: one-off errors and a lack of visibility of function. These problems are exacerbated in an editing environment which uses the extremely fast Leap cursor-moving technology.

This paper presents solutions to these cursor design problems and reveals the surprising way many other aspects of system design can be improved as a consequence of designing the cursor correctly.
Task-oriented representation of asynchronous user interfaces
Authors: Siochi A. C. , Hartson H. R.
Published: January 2007

A simple, task-oriented notation for describing user actions in asynchronous user interfaces is introduced. This User Action Notation (UAN) allows the easy association of actions with feedback and system state changes as part of a set of asynchronous interface design techniques, by avoiding the verbosity and potential vagueness of prose. Use within an actual design and implementation project showed the UAN to be expressive, concise, and highly readable because of its simplicity. The task- and user-oriented techniques are naturally asynchronous and a good match for object-oriented implementation. Levels of abstraction are readily applied to allow definition of primitive tasks for sharing and reusability and to allow hiding of details for chunking. The UAN provides a critical articulation point, bridging the gap between the task viewpoint of the behavioral domain and the event-driven nature of the object-oriented implementational domain. The potential for UAN task description analysis may address some of the difficulties in developing asynchronous interfaces.
User interface design in large corporations: coordination and communication across disciplines
Authors: Grudin J. , Poltrock S. E.
Published: January 2007

This report describes some of the results of a survey constructed to address the multidisciplinary, collaborative nature of user interface design as it is practiced in large software development organizations today. Survey forms were prepared for Software Engineers, Human Factors Engineers, Industrial Design Engineers, Technical Writers, Training Developers, and Marketing representatives. The survey was filled out by over 200 designers from multiple sites within 7 large companies. Previous interview studies of user interface design have relied on far smaller samples taken primarily from single organizations, and have focused on the individual designer's perspective, primarily that of programmers or software engineers. While surveys have limitations as information-gathering tools, the findings in this report suggest specific places where organizational change or tool development might improve the coordination or communication among the different professionals and managers who contribute to interface design in large company settings.
Performance, preference, and visual scan patterns on a menu-based system: implications for interface design
Authors: Hendrickson J. J.
Published: January 2007

This study was conducted to provide evidence for the nature of visual search processes with menus, and to derive design principles for menu-based natural language (MBNL) interfaces to databases. The effects of window size, window activity, and query length were investigated. It was found that longer queries were performed faster with single active windows, but multiple active windows were rated as more 'natural'. Query times increased with query length, as did eye fixation frequencies, fixation durations, and dwell times. Errors were most likely to occur on the longest query. Fixation durations also varied with window size. However, visual behavior depended on the area being viewed and on the interaction between window activity and query length. In contrast with previous studies, it was also found that menus were not scanned randomly. However, scanpaths were less deterministic with multiple active windows and became even more unconstrained as query length increased. User interface design recommendations were derived from the findings.
Speech and gestures for graphic image manipulation
Authors: Hauptmann A. G.
Published: January 2007

An experiment was conducted with people using gestures and speech to manipulate graphic images on a computer screen. A human was substituted for the recognition devices. The analysis showed that people strongly prefer to use both gestures and speech for the graphics manipulation and that they intuitively use multiple hands and multiple fingers in all three dimensions. There was surprising uniformity and simplicity in the gestures and speech. The analysis of these results provides strong encouragement for future development of integrated multi-modal interaction systems.
Conversational resources for situated action
Authors: Frohlich D. M. , Luff P.
Published: January 2007

Suchman (1987) has recently drawn attention to the situated nature of human social action and its implications for the design of interactive computer systems. In particular, she has highlighted the shortcomings of globally managing human computer dialogues by matching user actions to some idealised plan for carrying out a task. In this paper we outline a scheme for the local management of dialogues based on the findings of conversation analysis. The scheme makes available a variety of communicative resources to both user and system, including the ability to give and take turns at talk, to initiate and carry out repair work, and to continue or change the topic of conversation. An implementation of the scheme in a welfare rights
Advice System
is described.
Encapsulating interactive behaviors
Authors: Myers B. A.
Published: January 2007

Although there has been important progress in models and packages for the output of graphics to computer screens, there has been little change in the way that input from the mouse, keyboard and other input devices is handled. New graphics standards are still using a ten year old model even though it is widely accepted as inadequate, and most modern window managers simply return a stream of device-dependent input events. This paper presents a new model for how input devices can be handled for highly-interactive, direct manipulation, graphical user interfaces. This model encapsulates interactive behaviors into a few “interactor” object types. Application programs can then create instances of these interactor objects, and the details of the handling of the input devices are separated from the application and from the output graphics.
Book review: READINGS IN HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH ed. by Ronald M . Baecker & William A.S. Buxton (Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc ., 1987)
Authors: Cohen Maxine S.
Published: January 2007

This book is an extensive collection of papers on the Human Computer Interface. This review will not attempt to discuss each paper in the text, suffice it to say the classical human factors issues are raised and key references and researchers in the field are included. This book will be useful to programmers, systems designers and psychologists. The book stresses, emphasizes and demonstrates the need for effective interface design to be a multidisciplinary process.
The standard factor
Authors: Billingsley P.
Published: January 2007

This quarter's column focuses on standard user interfaces, as opposed to user interface standards. User interface standards attempt to ensure that certain minimum software usability criteria are met, regardless of the specific type or style of user interface implemented. A standard user interface, on the other hand, is based on a set of design rules, guidelines, or conventions that describe the specific appearance and behavior of interface elements. In theory, if developers adhere to these specifications, the user interfaces they design will be consistent with all others designed under the same constraints. The following article, reprinted with permission of the author and IEEE, discusses many of the difficulties associated with standard user interfaces from a human factors perspective. It is precisely because of these difficulties that, even if the entire industry agreed to adopt one standard user interface, there would still be a need for higher-level user interface standards.
Designing the “cockpit”: the application of a human-centered design philosophy to make optimization systems accessible
Authors: Colgan L. , Spence R. , Rankin P. , Applerley M. D.
Published: January 2007

The Cockpit is an interactive graphical display of results from analogue circuit optimization. It aims to overcome circuit designers' reluctance to use optimization systems by providing them with an interface that is easy and natural to use. The Cockpit presents the user with a 3D display which can be used both as a way of navigating the complex optimization data and as an overview of optimization progress. The Cockpit development process includes user interviews and rapid simulation of the user interface on a hypermedia system.
A process-oriented extensible hypertext architecture
Authors: Kacmar C. J.
Published: January 2007

Previous hypertext systems have been designed in a monolithic fashion. This design has inhibited the ability of hypertext systems to be extended or to interface with other systems. A new architecture for hypertext systems has been developed. This architecture is centered around the process and object-oriented models of software construction. The architecture provides hypertext functionality outside the application, allowing applications to draw upon those hypertext features appropriate to the application. The architecture also extends hypertext functionality so that inter-application as well as intra-application information links can be formed.
Coordinating user interfaces for consistency
Authors: Nielsen J.
Published: January 2007

One of the most important aspects of usability is consistency in user interfaces. Consistency should apply both within the individual application and across complete computer systems and even across product families. Practical methods for coordinating user interface design are not well known, however. To remedy this situation, a workshop on
Coordinating User Interfaces for Consistency
was held at the ACM CHI'88 conference in Washington, DC, 15--16 May 1988.
Defending against viruses and worms
Authors: Kurzban S. A.
Published: January 2007

"Computer viruses" have received a lot of attention. In fact, the best-known "viruses" have not been viruses at all, but "worms," programs that spread through networks instead of modifying programs. Both viruses and worms reproduce themselves and defensive measures have focused on stopping or slowing their spread. But that is only one type of defense. Preventing or limiting the effect of the harm that their components can cause is another. Still other measures are specific to known viruses. Ultimately, though, there is no defense better than a comprehensive security strategy that embraces user education, crisis-response teams, and technologically sound security measures including, but not limited to, those that relate specifically to the threats posed by viruses and worms.
A DEVS-scheme simulation of an electronic meeting system
Authors: Aiken M. W. , Hayes G.
Published: January 2007

Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS) facilitate group meetings by providing automated support for communicating, decison-making, and consensus-building. This paper presents an approach for building EMS through a quantitative description of two well-known approaches: Electronic Brainstorming and the Nominal Group Technique. A DEVS-Scheme simulation of these two tools provides an additional conceptual foundation for the construction of EMS tools.
Book review: COMPUTER-SUPPORTED COOPERATIVE WORK: A BOOK OF READINGS ed. by Irene GreiI (Morgan Kaufmann, 1988)
Authors: Hoffman Patricia J.
Published: January 2007

This book has selectively collected 28 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) papers from journals including the
IEEE Computer
,
Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems
,
Human Computer Interaction
,
American Psychologist
,
Harvard Business Review
,
Management Science
,
AI Magazine
,
Scientific American
,
Atlantic Monthly
,
TOOIS
, and
CACM
. From the list of publications, it can be seen that not only does CSCW borrow from varied fields, but that this text will be of value to CSCW for consolidating the information and also to the various fields with which it overlaps. The papers, ranging in date from 1945 to 1988 and written by many notable authors including Douglas C. Engelbart, Alphonse Chapanis, Thomas Malone, Jeff Conklin, Kevin Crowston, Sara Kiesler, and Terry Winograd, build upon each others' arguments with many of the latest papers referencing earlier works. The editor, Irene Greif, has included two of her own papers (coauthored with Sunil Sarin): "Computer-based Real-Time Conferencing Systems" and "Data Sharing in Groups Work." She also provides excellent commentary on how the papers relate to each other and build on the field of CSCW.