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Music |
Monday, 28 August 2000 |
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The cattle lets off steam, water boils.
A few spoonfuls of coffee rustle at the bottom of the coffee can.
The hot water dashes down.
The filter shoves down.
I hear the first gulp swallowed towards my gullet.
Hm, I murmer in joy,
my caffeine addiction has been satisfied again.
These are all everyday events that have one thing in common: They make sound when things go well. Positive auditory feedback as it is known in jargon. Most computers behave differently. Most users know negative sounds only, nasty nagging when things go wrong, the computer doesn't have the guts to take decisions. Alan Cooper described in About Face the effectiveness of positive auditory feedback (in chapter 28: positive feedback and in chapter 29: audible feedback). And indeed, Cooper is right. A few real life examples from my personal PC settings, which I like very much: |
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Click | The computer reacts to a mouse click and starts working. | ||
www.stinsv.com/...#Soundfx | Computer beeps | Opera (www.opera.no) is ready loading a web page. | |
(www.stinsv.com/...#Soundfx) | Transfer complete | The download of a file has finished. | |
(www.stinsv.com/Voy/sevena.htm) | Let me know when you want to resume our work | A program temporarily minimises to the taskbar. | |
(www.stinsv.com/VOy/torresa.htm) | "Oh you need me? I'm touched" | A program is on screen again, back from temporary minimisation. | |
Vaerdig! (Dutch Limburg dialect for ready) |
a program has closed, probably after a click on the cross in the right hand top corner. | ||
I hardly notice these sounds any more.
It is very pleasant to work with, increasing productivity
(www.nyu.edu/...SoundInInterface.html),
exactly according
Alan Cooper's predictions.
I hardly get distracted, can just continue with my current work.
Users find comfort in the sounds. The sounds are a continuous confirmation that things are going well, an stream of happy tunes with the right notes, a symphony of success. Users are just like normal people. Everybody loves never ending taps on the back. Nobody likes criticism. It's the tune that makes the music (.../games/...). | |||
Thanks to Annet Bex for her "vaerdig". | |||
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