Back in the early days, computers were put in glass rooms so that people could actually see a computer in operation. Tapes whirred and lights flashed. I remember the glass computer room that was a central feature of the new Faculty of Mathematics building at the University of Waterloo in the late 1960's. The computer was special and recognized as being apart from everyday life.

This began to chance with the introduction of mini-computers in the 1970's. An average department could afford to have its own computer - the computer was less special and more a part of everyday life. With the introduction of personal computers, everyone could afford to have a computer. The computer established itself as an everyday fact of life in the office and in the home.

The Internet effected the next major change. It was now possible to connect computers, regardless of where the physical machines were located. But there were still large areas of life that were virtually untouched by the new digital reality. Today, that is in the process of changing. Voice is going digital. More and more images and sounds are digital - entertainment is going digital. Automobiles are going digital and there are even digital refrigerators. The digital umbrella is covering ever more of life.

The implications for IT professionals will be profound. Systems will be less and less isolated, or insolatable. It's already common to find word processing document files included in systems, with an ability to search on all of the content stored in the system. Leading systems are now including voice and image "documents". Search on voice is possible today and search on image is becoming increasingly practical. The tidy systems world of the past is fast disappearing.

With this expansion of coverage has come an important shift in the nature of a system's users. In the good old days, all users of a system could be assumed to have undergone proper training. Casual users were not allowed to touch the system. Proper training could, and did, reduce the pain inflicted by a poorly designed system. With today's extended systems, casual users are the norm and user interaction design flaws stand out in stark relief.

Given the increased presence and importance of digital systems, traditional failure is less and less an acceptable option. There must be no way for a software bug to make my car's braking system fail. It's just not acceptable to require that the user of a cell phone regularly update her anti-virus software. Even Microsoft has felt the heat. The latest Service Pack for Windows XP is by default far less trusting. It's a harsh world and our systems cannot be charitable in what they assume.

It's nothing special to know about digital images and voice over IP. More and more people are learning how to work with and modify digital systems. More and more people are doing programming. The basic knowledge expected of the IT professional continues to increase. And the rules are changing. An increasing discipline is demanded of professionals who work with systems. As but one example, we really, really need to understand and apply user centered design. Some might even say, "It's about time!"

reprinted from

with permission
November 26, 2004