Definition
End User Computing (EUC) refers to the human interface, ergonomically integrated into a user centered design system throughout its life cycle. EUC's goal is to allow unskilled staff to use expensive and highly skilled knowledge in their jobs. This is done by putting the knowledge and expertise into the computer and teaching the end user how to access it.
It appears easier to teach factory workers, for example, how to read dials, push buttons, pull levers, and log results than to teach them the manufacturing process and mathematical models. The current computing trend is to simulate a console with similar dials, sliders, levers, and switches, which the end user is taught to use. To further reduce end user training, computer consoles all contain components which are shaped, labled, coloured, and function similarly.
Computer developers assume that once the end user knows what and how a particular lever works, they will quickly identify it when it appears in a new console. This means that once staff learn one console, they will be able to operate all consoles. Addmitedly each console will have new components, but training is limited to those, not the whole console.
In computer jargon, consoles are called programs or applications and they are presented through a Graphical User Interface which ensures the components have a consistent look and feel. The computer's operation is hidden behind this metaphor and presents itself in a way most people understand.
Trend
The historical view regarding end users is being eroded by the internet and wireless communication, where the traditional end user is able to actively contribute and add value to the computer system. wikis are one example where end users provide the content and free the webmaster to manage the site. Another example within the computer field is FLOSS, where end users engage in all aspects of software development, from feature requests, through testing and reviews, to useability, documentation, and distribution. Music, pictures, and documents are remixed and edited to satisify personal taste and demand. The consequence is that many countries and industries have been slow or unwilling to adjust to this emerging society, but some have seen the potential and are exploring economic possibilities.
Research
The human interface receives continuous attention as emerging interfaces reveal more possibilities and risks. The quest to both internationalize (i18n) and localize (L10n) software is hampered by computers designed for the English alphabet, but other major languages, such as Hàny (Chinese language), Japanese and Arabic have different requirements.
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 devices on the one hand, and how unobtrusively the computer can detect the human's needs on the other.
Analysis
The concepts related to the 'end user' cover a wide range (novice user to intellectual borg {see Slogan 2}), hence End User Computing can have a range of forms and values. Most early computer systems were tightly controlled by an IT department; 'users' were just that. However, at any point in the evolution of computer systems through time, there was serious work in several domains that required user development. The dynamics of the power struggles between centralized and decentralized computing has been a fact. Then, the advent of the personal workstation opened up the door, so to speak, since it allowed a more pervasive type of computation to emerge. The recent advent of 'web' services has extended the issues to a more broad scope.
In the sense of serious ___domain computing and given the intertwining of computation into all advanced disciplines, any tool (inclusive of any type of capability related to a ___domain/discipline) that is provided by a computer becomes part of the discipline (methodology, etc.).
As such, the issue arises about how open the tool is to scrutiny. Some disciplines require more understanding of the tool set than do others. That is, tools that are operational in scope require less understanding than those that are ontological. As an example of the latter type of influence on disciplines, consider the impact that the computer has had on the scientific method.
Some of the issues related to End User Computing concern architecture (iconic versus language interface, open versus closed, ...). These continue to be studied. Other issues relate to IP, configuration, maintenance, ... End User Computing allows more user input into system affairs that can range from personalization to full-fledged ownership of the system.
Examples of End User Computing are ICAD, SQL, ... ICAD (in the KBE ___domain) stands as a prime example since it is associated with the pervasive use of Lisp by Engineers to accomplish remarkable effects through a long economic cycle.
- Slogan 1: good End User Computing practices might help temper things such as the AI Winter.
- Slogan 2: the computational needs to wed with the phenomenal (are 'borgs' inevitable?).
- Note: Borg, in this sense, may be inspired by science fiction, however the reality of wearables and embedded chips ought to be considered. Witness, too, the recent article in an IEEE periodical about the use of embedded circuitry (such as, to regulate release of medication) in Psychiatry practice. Related discussion will cover cognition, perception, and much more (to be listed).
- Slogan 3: there is always more than meets the eye (or, GUI, or any interface, is only part of the truth).
Addiction
When people use computers to the extent it disrupts their relationships and lifestyle, they are addicted. Common addictions include Internet Relay Chat and mudding.
- (Note: this is a little strong in that gaming can be a respected form of training and education; augmented reality is getting serious money behind it; ...)
See also
External links
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