End-user computing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:43, 1 June 2006

Revision as of 22:36, 1 June 2006

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'''End User Computing''' (EUC) is a group of approaches to computing that aim at better integrating [[End-user_%28computer_science%29|end users]] into the computing environment or at improving the potential for high-end computing to perform in a trustworthy manner in problem solving of the highest order. The '''EUC Ranges''' section describes two types of approaches that are at different ends of a spectrum.

A simple example of these two extremes can use the [[SQL]] context. The first approach would have canned queries and reports that for the most part would be invoked with buttons and/or simple commands. In thisthe case of the first, a computing group would keep these canned routines up to date through the normal development/maintenance methods. For the latter approach, [[SQL]] administration would allow for end-user definition of queries though these may be constrained in order to reduce the likelihood of run-away conditions that would have negative influence on other users. We see this already in some [[business intelligence]] methods whcih build [[SQL]] on the fly. There may be rules that again dampen effects, however the open-ended environment expects, and accomodates, the long run times (basically, these are unknown [[apriori]]).

Also, betweenBetween these two extremes view of '''EUC''' there are many combinations. Some of the factors contributing to the need for further EUC research are knowledge processing, pervasive computing, interactive visualization/analysis schemes, and the like.

For this example, the latter approach would allow for end-user definition of queries though these may be constrained in order to reduce the likelihood of run-away conditions that would have negative influence on other users. But, taken further, some business intelligence methods build [[SQL]] on the fly. There may be rules that dampen effects, however it is not hard to conceive of an open-ended environment being setup for this type of work (with the associated long run times expected and allowed).

Also, between these two extremes view of '''EUC''' there are many combinations. Some of the factors contributing to the need for further EUC research are knowledge processing, pervasive computing, interactive visualization/analysis schemes, and the like.

==EUC Ranges==

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Computing of this type can be labelled [[black box]] where trust will be an essential part.

In the other type of EUC described above, it has been argued that '''a''' (teaching programming and computing concepts to a ___domain expert (say, one of the sciences or engineering disciplines) and letting the expert develop rules (this type of action can be subsumed under the topic of business rules)) is easier than '''b''' (teaching the intricacies of a complex discipline to a computer worker<!---need to clarify this further, but, for now, read IT/IS-->). '''b''' is the normal approach of the IT-driven situation. '''a''' has been the reality since day one of computing in many disciplines. One may argumentfurther argue that resolving issues of '''a''' and '''b''' is not unlike the interplay between [[distributed]] and central[[centralized]] processing (which is an age-old concern in computing). In this sense of EUC, there may be computer scientists supporting decisions about architecture, process, and GUI. However, in many cases, the end user owns the software components. One thrust related to this sense of EUC is a focus on providing better languages to the user. [[ICAD]] was an example in the [[Knowledge-Based_Engineering|KBE]] context. Of late, this discipline has moved to a co-joint architecture that features advanced interactive ___domain visualization coupled with a complicated API accessed via [[VBA]], [[C++]], and the like. This type of co-jointness is an example of a ___domain tool augmented with non-trivial extensibility.

==Trend==

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Other studies range from website [[accessibility]] to [[pervasive computing]], with the focus ranging from the human to the computer. The issue centres around how much the human can safely and reliably adjust to the computer's [[I/O device]]s on the one hand, and how unobtrusively the computer can detect the human's needs on the other.

Furthermore, issues related to computing ontologies (example: the [[Language/Action_perspective]] has found some success in [[Customer_Relationship_Management|CRM]], etc.) continue to be of interest to EUC.

==Analysis==