Usability in the Movies -- Top 10 Bloopers

Ant writes "A UseIt.com article talks about user interfaces (UIs) in film that are more exciting than they are realistic, and heroes have far too easy a time using foreign systems. The way Hollywood depicts usability could fill many a blooper reel. Here are 10 of the most egregious mistakes made by moviemakers. From the article: '3. The 3D UI - In Minority Report, the characters operate a complex information space by gesturing wildly in the space in front of their screens. As Tog found when filming Starfire, it's very tiring to keep your arms in the air while using a computer. Gestures do have their place, but not as the primary user interface for office systems.'"

#10?

[mar1no]

Leaving aside the plausibility of a 12-year-old knowing Unix, simply knowing Unix is not enough to immediately use any application running on the system. Yes, she could probably have used vi on the security terminal. But the specialized security system would have required some learning time -- significant learning time if it were built on Unix, which has notoriously inconsistent user interface design and thus makes it harder to transfer skills from one application to the next.

This guy didn't do his research. It wasn't that specialized of a security system.

http://fsv.sourceforge.net/ [sourceforge.net]

Re:How it should work

[syzler]

The way it works in the movies is the way it should work. Log in, type "find Kyoto meeting minutes", a bunch of matrix-ish characters scroll across the screen, and there it is.

I guess you don't use OS X. Apple aready has this feature, it is called Spotlight. Commnad-Space &ltsaerch term&gt and OS X will provide a list of matching files based on Meta data and file contents. Okay, it is missing the matrix style characters, but it is close.

...and for the UMPTEENTH time...

[Llywelyn]

it exists [sgi.com]

Re:Too hard to keep your hands in the air?

[fucksl4shd0t]

Errr, no. Teachers are exhausted after a full day's teaching for a reason. I used to work in the pit at an oil change place and I can tell you, keeping your hands up in the air ain't no picnic. In fact, after awhile on a busy day, you just want to go up top so you can let your arms hang slack.

Re:Linux

[innocent_white_lamb]

You can find it right here: http://fsv.sourceforge.net/ [sourceforge.net]

Re:Ridiculous...

[Anonymous Coward]

Guess what... you're not the only person in the world smart enough to recognize glaring errors in most movies you see. It's just that you are apparently too proud of your intelligence to keep it to yourself when you notice. It makes everyone around you groan with irritation when you point out a movie's shortcomings, but you just can't help yourself because the groans make you feel special. You're the "smart guy".

Re:Twas the night before xmas (fixed the cadence)

[Migraineman]

Not to be a grammar nazi, but the cadence was off in too many places. Rather than just bitch about it, I'm submitting a revision for your consideration. I tried to stay true to the original intent. [sigh] The silly "characters per line" restriction is preventing me from posting, so I'm going to ramble here a bit to get the stats up. Yep, nothing relevant to read here, so just skip down a bit.

More crap for the "characters per line" restriction, dammit: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

MM
- - - block separator - - - bypassing Slashdot's "too few characters per line" restriction - - - I have good karma, why can't I post "skinny" text? - - -

Twas the night before Christmas,
As I clicked on my mouse,
Across some old floppies, I'd tried to degauss;
Windows kept hanging with Blue Screen Of Death,
While I cursed out Bill Gates ... under my breath.
The missus was sleeping, with kids and newborn,
So I took the opportunity to surf for some porn.
I found a free website with many jpegs,
(So that's just exactly, how chickens lay eggs!)
When out down the hall I heard a loud noise,
I jumped out of my chair and put back the boys.

I figured the wife must be up and about,
If she caught me again, she'd toss my ass out.
I laced up my robe and thought of a story
About why I'm up and how to say "sorry."
I stuck out my head by the light of the john
(One of the kids must've left the light on)
I squinted and strained to see just what was what
When what hove into view but a giant red butt.
The first thing I thought was to reach for a bat
(Wait a minute - red suit, fur trim and he's fat!)

The Claus man is here with high-tech type stuff
The latest geek toys without all the fluff.
New cell phones! New sound cards! New controllers and games!
For Xbox! For Gamecube! For Playstation and MAMEs!
Wireless Routers! They're eleven-dot-G!
Zippy and quick, not slow like dot-B!
I pondered the gifts, and considered my needs,
Time seemed to slow down as I watched with my greed.
"All those wonderful toys" as the Joker did say,
"Where does he get them? Best Buy, Amazon and Ebay?"

And then, with a beeping, off went my pager,
(Some idiot at work with a question, I'll wager)
I fumbled to stop the beep-beeping sound,
But Santa had stopped and had now turned around.
His actions had set off the motion detector
And in minutes the cops would be in this sector
He dropped all the toys to make quick his escape
And flew 'cross the room li

Re:Sound effects?

[Anonymous Coward]

Serenity and Firefly both nailed the sound / no sound issue. The 'sound in space' part is after the reentry starts and there is at least some atmo.