TABLE OF CONTENTS Randolph G. Bias School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin
Clare-Marie Karat IBM TJ Watson Research Center
Sir Walter Scott wrote, in Marmion,
"Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!" (Scott, 1805)
Sometimes it is quoted as ". . . what a wicked Web we weave."
This year is the bicentennial anniversary of the publication of Scott's book. Did he anticipate the World Wide Web, 200 years ago? Scott's words are relevant to today's networked world and the development activities that support it, including designing for ease of use.
Usability is not the end-all-be-all; rather, it must be considered alongside (and in equal measure with!) functionality and schedule. The problem is not that Web site developers are wicked; rather, they are too often in a hurry and are not operating in a reward structure that motivates attention to usability.
So the Web is not wicked. But tangled? Oh yeah.
Most of us are wowed by the Internet. It is amazing what we can accomplish while sitting at home in our pajamas. But when we say "us" or "we," we are referring to that small subset of the population who have some expectation of what will happen if we "right click," or those of us who have heard of, for example, Doug Engelbart. When one of "us" sits down with one of "them" (the great unwashed masses), the madcap hilarity begins. "They" are so stupid! Can...
