The Design of Future Things Read Online Free Page A

tuned German sports car at high speed on the racetrack that we have rented for the afternoon. We approach a sharp curve, and I watch as he gently brakes, shifting the car’s weight forward, then turns the steering wheel so that as the front end of the car turns, the rear end, now with reduced weight bearing down, skids, putting the car into a deliberate, controlled skid, known as an “oversteer” condition. As the rear end swingsaround, my son straightens the steering wheel and accelerates, shifting the car’s weight back to the rear wheels so that we are once again accelerating smoothly down a straightaway with the pleasure of feeling in complete control. All three of us have enjoyed the experience: me, my son, and the car.

    Example four, the recommendation system, is very different from the other three for it is slower, less graceful, and more intellectual. Nonetheless, it is an excellent example of a positive interaction between people and complex systems, primarily because it suggests without controlling, without annoyance: we are free to accept or ignore its recommendations. These systems work in a variety of ways, but all suggest items or activities that you might like by analyzing your past selections or activities, searching for similarities to other items in their databases, and by examining the likes and dislikes of other people whose interestsappear similar to yours. As long as the recommendations are presented in a noninvasive fashion, eliciting your voluntary examination and participation, they can be helpful. Consider the search for a book on one of the internet websites. Being able to read an excerpt and examine the table of contents, index, and reviews helps us decide whether to make a purchase.
    Some sites even explain why they have made their recommendations, offering to let people tune their preference settings. I have seen recommendation systems in research laboratories that watch over your activities, so if you are reading or writing, they suggest articles to read by finding items that are similar in content to what is on your display. These systems work well for several reasons. First, they do offer value, for the suggestions are often relevant and useful. Second, they are presented in a nonintrusive manner, off to the side, without distracting you from the primary task but readily available when you are ready. Not all recommendation systems are so effective, for some are intrusive—some seem to violate one’s privacy. When done well, they demonstrate that intelligent systems can add pleasure and value to our interactions with machines.
A Caveat
    When I ride a horse, it isn’t any fun for me or the horse. Smooth, graceful interaction between horse and rider requires considerable skill, which I lack. I don’t know what I am doing, and both I and the horse know this. Similarly, I watch drivers who are neither skilled nor confident struggle with their automobiles, and I, as a passenger, do not feel safe. Symbiosis is a wonderful concept, a cooperative, beneficial relationship. But in some cases, as in myfirst three examples, it requires considerable effort, training, and skill. In other cases, such as in my fourth example, although no high-level skill or training is required, the designers of these systems must pay careful attention to appropriate modes of social interaction.
    After I had posted a draft version of this chapter on my website, I received a letter from a group of researchers who were exploring the metaphor of horse and rider to the control of automobiles and airplanes. The “H-metaphor,” they called it, where “H” stands for “horse.” Scientists at the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration research facilities at Langley, Virginia, were collaborating with scientists at the German Aerospace Center’s Institute for Transportation Systems in Braunschweig, Germany, to understand just how such systems might be built. I