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https://alistapart.com/article/design-for-amiability-lessons-from-vienna/>
"Today’s web is not always an amiable place. Sites greet you with a popover
that demands assent to their cookie policy, and leave you with Taboola ads
promising “One Weird Trick!” to cure your ailments. Social media sites are
tuned for engagement, and few things are more engaging than a fight. Today it
seems that people want to quarrel; I have seen flame wars among birders.
These tensions are often at odds with a site’s goals. If we are providing
support and advice to customers, we don’t want those customers to wrangle with
each other. If we offer news about the latest research, we want readers to feel
at ease; if we promote upcoming marches, we want our core supporters to feel
comfortable and we want curious newcomers to feel welcome.
In a study for a conference on the History of the Web, I looked to the origins
of Computer Science in Vienna (1928-1934) for a case study of the importance
of amiability in a research community and the disastrous consequences of its
loss. That story has interesting implications for web environments that promote
amiable interaction among disparate, difficult (and sometimes disagreeable)
people."
Via Esther Schindler.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
