Developing Usable Experiences

Following in footsteps of greatness, thanks Dr.Engelbart

September 16th, 2007 6:56 am —  158 views

sleeping_on_a_chair.jpg 

There is frost on our deck this morning. W. has turned on the heat. It is the first time this summer (now nearly fall) that we’ve turned on our furnance. We have guests in our house that were probably shivering all night. Aunt D. and Aunt B. were visiting for the weekend. The two of them and W. spent yesterday visiting the town and houses where they grew up. Somewhere in Novi. I holed up in my office, working on school stuff.

Speaking of school, things are going fairly well. Sometimes I feel like I’m working two full-time jobs. But my mind is engaged and I’m up for the challenge of learning and working hard. The material is interesting and the subject matter not unfamiliar. However, we are examining things in more detail and with greater focus. Really breaking things down and exploring the dark corners. There is just so much.

One of my assignments this week is to research a key figure in the field of HCI (Human-Computer Interface). This is my field of interest and the focus of my graduate work. Anyway, the person I’m researching is the guy who invented and built the first computer mouse, Douglas Engelbart. His life and work is impressive. What strikes me is how close and influential he is to the world of computing and networking yet, I had never heard of him. As I read more and followed threads of his experience an entire world of people and events opened up that I had known nothing about. This guy was a pretty normal fellow. Creative and passionate. A life full of ups and downs. I understand he is still actively involved in things, at age 82, and is working out of an office at the Logitech headquarters in California. Logitech is a manufacturer of computer devices, namely computer mice. Kind of funny. Doug, here’s to you and your lifes work.

Image: I’m working with four other students on a project that involves creating a website detailing our efforts and who we are. For our bio page we are using pictures of us as children that will change to us as adults on mouseover. While digitizing some pictures of myself, I found this one. I was pretty young but I remember how I liked to nap on this chair. Not sure where this was taken but I bet someone out there does.

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