A Small Matter of Programming asks why it has been so difficult for end users to command programming power and explores the problems of end user-driven application development that must be solved to afford end users greater computational power.Drawing on empirical research on existing end user syste[...]
"Ever since the creators of the animated television show "South Park" turned their lovingly sardonic gaze on the massively multiplayer online game "World of Warcraft" for an entire episode, "WoW"'s status as an icon of digital culture has been secure. "My Life as a Night Elf Priest" digs deep beneat[...]
Activity theory holds that the human mind is the product of our interaction with people and artifacts in the context of everyday activity. Acting with Technology makes the case for activity theory as a basis for understanding our relationship with technology. Victor Kaptelinin and Bonnie Nardi descr[...]
Activity theory holds that the human mind is the product of our interaction with people and artifacts in the context of everyday activity. Acting with Technology makes the case for activity theory as a basis for understanding our relationship with technology. Victor Kaptelinin and Bonnie Nardi descr[...]
The common rhetoric about technology falls into two extreme categories: uncritical acceptance or blanket rejection. Claiming a middle ground, Bonnie Nardi and Vicki O'Day call for responsible, informed engagement with technology in local settings, which they call information ecologies.An information[...]
"Ethnography and Virtual Worlds" is the only book of its kind - a concise, comprehensive, and practical guide for students, teachers, designers, and scholars interested in using ethnographic methods to study online virtual worlds, including both game and nongame environments. Written by leading ethn[...]
Intended for designers and researchers, Context and Consciousness brings together 13 contributions that apply activity theory to problems of human-computer interaction.Understanding how people actually use computers in their everyday lives is essential to good design and evaluation. This insight nec[...]