Software, Automation, and the Futility of Requirements Paul Dourish Information & Computer Science UC Irvine ASE Workshop, 6/28/02

cscw and social science cscw as an interdisciplinary endeavour –hci looked to psychology and cognitive science –cscw has looked to social science methodologically –methods for investigating social action theoretically –models for understanding and analysing social action a more disturbing relationship –computer science and cognitive science “fit” –the social critique is more radical challenges the foundations of building systems

plans and situated actions a foundational text –Plans and Situated Action, Suchman, 1987 –a social science critique of cognitive science the elevator story –cogsci/AI offers the “planning” paradigm –social studies reveal improvised conduct the eponymous “situated actions” the conventional interpretation –need to accommodate exceptions –software should refer to circumstances of use e.g. Brooks et al

plans and situated actions the more radical reading –Suchman recognises a role for plans plans as a resource for action plans as an account of action –but… the example of preparing expense reports –what constitutes adequacy? the inherent incompleteness of systems of rules

two views of the social world the problem of social order orderliness from without –rules, rote, and dispositions –the judgmental dope orderliness from within –orderliness as a local achievement –following a rule vs acting in accordance

practice the notion of practice –practice and process –“practice is, first and foremost, a process by which we find the world and our encounters with it as meaningful” (Etienne Wenger) –shoemakers and computer scientists

practice and technology Gibson had it right –“The street finds its own use for technology” but so do the office, the home, the lab… meaning evolves in use –“the meaning of a word is its use in the language” –“meaning”…? the role of the technology the organisational and practical purpose it serves what is communicated by its use how do we support the evolution of practice?

a new approach supporting appropriation –the creation of new meaning computation as a responsive medium –think about computation, not applications malleable active representational –computation as a means of expression customising in practice creating and sharing meaning

automation and software adaptation and appropriation are inevitable –in fact, they’re critical premature commitment –traditional software commits to stable settings of use the crisis of participatory design –an evolving working setting –a static bundle of bits

automation and software a new role for automated software eng. –the site for a.s.e. is the point of use –not just improving but extending existing practice extending the development process –development & adaptation as a part of active use –the ability to adapt and extend everyday use should depend on a.s.e. –but what does it take to move a.s.e. to this central role?