Computers are as ubiquitous as automobiles and toasters, but exploiting their capabilities still seems to require the training of a supersonic test pilot. VCR displays blinking a constant 12 noon around the world testify to this conundrum. Computers currently respond only to what interface designers call direct manipulation.
Nothing happens unless a person gives commands from a keyboard, mouse or touch screen.
If untrained consumers are to employ future computers and networks effectively, direct manipulation will have to give way to some form of delegation. Some of these proxies will simply make the digital world less overwhelming by hiding technical details of tasks, guiding users through complex on-line spaces or even teaching them about certain subjects. Others will actively search for information their owners may be interested in or monitor specified topics for critical changes. This change in functionality will most likely go hand in hand with a change in the physical ways people interact with computers. Rather than manipulating a keyboard and mouse, people will speak to agents or gesture at things that need doing.