Making “Disappearing” Disappear Paul Dourish Information & Computer Science UC Irvine

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new forms of computing the rhetoric –computing is become ubiquitous and hence invisible the practice –I have more computers than ever before –I encounter more computers than ever before –the trend is actually going the other way instead of my computer becoming more like my TV, stereo or telephone, they’re becoming more like my computer –yesterday’s keynote was a perfect example…

the problems of “disappearance” computers won’t disappear from our world –but they should disappear from how we talk and think the computer is not the problem –instead, it’s the computer’s inflexible obtrusiveness how does the computer manifest itself in daily activity? how can I engage with the computer as a tool? how can I appropriate technology for new ends? the mutuality of tool and task the solution to these problems is not invisibility –inflexible absence is as bad as inflexible presence!

those who forget the past… it’s HCI all over again –“I don’t want to use a word processor; I just want to write” –“the interface should disappear” the rise of design –the communicative role of artifacts artifacts quite pointedly don’t disappear –instead, they offer themselves for different forms and different degrees of engagement

the technical trends the technology trends are clear –smaller, lighter, faster, cheaper… –our reliance on computation will increase and, as a technophile, I’m happy about that the question is, what we’ll do about them –“disappearance” is a non-goal –we need to think more critically about how we engage with technology in everyday life –we need to develop conceptual understandings of forms of technology engagement

conceptual understandings how people encounter technology in the world –as a part of everyday interaction –as a basis for meaningful practical activity –as a site for engaged action embodiment –a sense of phenomenological presence underwrites trends in tangible and social computing CSCW is uniquely positioned to address this –the relationship between technology and practice –the social and situated nature of computer work –the outward-directed focus of online activity

parting thoughts a world of sensible coexistence –a device focus leads to interconnection nightmares back to the desktop! –stuck in 1984 for ever? let’s make “disappearing” disappear –let’s focus, instead, on appropriate appearance