Cuteness Overload!!!! - Star Wars according to a 3 year old.

주목 注目 Attention 2008/02/25 19:10
아 귀여워!
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사상은 인간을 지배한다.

사고 思考 Cogitation 2008/02/24 15:50
어슴푸레 밝아 오는 아침에 잠을 뒤척이며 일어난다.
희박한 사고 속에 뜬금없이 질문 하나가 떠오른다.

''나' 는 능동적인 사람인가?'

갑작스런 자신에 대한 질문에
이것에 대한 정답이 존재하는지 생각해 본다.

'그래 능동적이야.'

답변의 정오를 차치하고
거대한 사회의 사고의 틀을 자꾸 나의 사고에
끼워넣으려고 하는 것이 아닌가 생각해 본다.

능동적이면 어떻고 수동적이면 어때?
그리고 이러한 비교들 성공과 실패에 대한 집착, 고민 그리고
자기 위로가 반복되는 시간에서 어떤 정답이 있단 말인가! 

왜 이런 갑작스러운 질문이 떠오른 걸까?

언제부터인지 정말로 많은 정보를 여러 매체로부터
얻게 되면서부터 정체성이 부유한 게 아닌가 생각한다.

사람은 사람을 닮아가고 그리고 비교한다.
나는 나다.

사상은 인간을 지배하지만 '나'라는 존재까지는
지배할 수 없다. 역으로, '나'도 사상을 지배 할 수 없다.

배우면 배울수록 고개가 숙여지는 날들이다.

다시 한번 나의 명제를 되새긴다.
'다른 것과 틀린 것을 구분하라. 다른 것은 인정하되,
다른 것을 틀린 거이라 하는 자들을 경계하라.'




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Labeling Images with a Computer Game

Human-Centered Computing 2007/12/06 15:07
  This paper describes the background on the design of the game that is about the idea of harnessing humans to work as computing elements through the game. The purpose of the game is to provide a novel way to label images with meaningful description, so users can easily find an appropriate image that they want through the search engine.

 The game, called “the ESP game”, randomly assigns two players who have logged on to the game's Web site. After starting the game, two players see the same image that is selected from a database after starting the game, however they cannot communicate with their mate directly. Each player can type the word that describes the image. When they agree on an image with the same word, both players can earn certain points and move to the next image. By providing players with points for each image and bonus points for completing a set of images, the game strengthen their continuous success in the game and thus encourage them to keep playing. For more appropriate and various labeling, the authors provide some techniques to refine and enhance the descriptions players enter in. First technique is using taboo words that guarantee each image will get many different labels associated with it. Second technique is using a good label threshold which means that before a label is associated with the image and used as a taboo word, it must have been agreed on by at least X times, where X is the threshold. Third technique is blocking cheating which is possible to contaminate the good labeling.

 According to the purpose and the way to build the game, the authors wanted to label a large amount of images on the Web that have unfinished descriptions or no labels at all. Accurate labels would improve the correlation between image search results and key words. However, computers are not good at recognizing all the images and determining what the image means. Additionally, labeling images by itself is uninteresting for people. Thus, the game changes the perception of the tedious task of labeling into more exciting.

 

 When a computer came out, people thought that computers had omnipotence. Unfortunately, computers are really good at solving certain kind of problems, but, there is a lot of work computers cannot do. According to the paper, we can get much insight into solving problems that computers just cannot do by using the human brain. We can consider people as a highly advanced and distributed processing unit that can solve large-scale problems that computers cannot answer to. So we can assert that the relationship between human and computers is extremely interdependent. I think that the authors want to recommend a symbiotic relationship between human and computers. A symbiosis is a close relation where humans solve some problems, computers solve other problems, and, thus, we can solve problems each one cannot solve alone.

Google which is inspired by this paper already provides the same kind of service, but they missed some important points. Google’s implementation is much faster, but less fun, without sound effects, and little game feature to make it engaging. So we have to identify the difference between the game and the system for just labeling. If we do not know how to design the system which attracts users to join distributed works, we cannot arrange time resource and energy into useful work to figure out computational problems. Therefore, we should analyze the elements of game to reinforce human intelligence. In other words, the game itself is not the only way to strengthen human brain.

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비움의 정신

사고 思考 Cogitation 2007/11/25 21:52
가끔 깨달았던 혹은 인지해서 내 마음을 변화코저 했던 의식은
한순간 옅어진다.

오늘 다시 신문 기사를 읽으면서 아래 글귀를 인용해 본다.
내가 원하는 것이 무엇이고 그것을 채울 수 있는 것은 어떤 것인가에 대한 대답이다.

비움이야 말로 완전의 동의가 아닐까 생각 해본다.

“더 많이 가질수록, 더 많이 원할수록 무엇을 바라는 마음은 점점 커질 것이다.” 사업 실패로 한때 자살을 결심했던 독일 작가 미하엘 코르트는 절망이 고개를 들 때마다 스토아 철학자 에픽테토스의 이 명언에서 인생의 지혜를 발견했다고 한다. “문제를 계속 생각하는 사이, 나는 행복에 이르는 길이 우리를 얽매는 ‘채움’이 아니라 우리를 자유롭게 하는 ‘비움’이라는 사실을 깨달았다.” 그의 고백이다(미하엘 코르트 ‘비움’·이승은 역).
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진실은 밝혀진다.

사고 思考 Cogitation 2007/11/12 20:38
여기와서 요새 한국 신문들을 보면 (여기 신문도 마찬가지다) 답답한 기분을 느낄 때가 많다. 그럴 때 마다 나는 구석 한켠으로 생각한다. 진실은 결국 밝혀지는 것이라고. 손바닥으로 하늘을 가릴 수 있겠지만, 그것은 순간일 뿐이라고. 인생에 욕심이 많겠지만, 우리가 사는 시간은 결국 찰나가 아닌가? 영겁의 시간 속에서 단 몇십년 사는 우리 인생의 욕심때문에 다른 사람에게 피해 준다는 것은 너무 이기적인 것이 아닌가?

내가 제일 싫어하고 정말 틀리다고 생각하는 것은 남과 다르다고 틀리다고 하는 것이다. 결국 자신이 뿌린 씨앗은 자신이 거둘 것이다.
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3개월된 미국 초보 이야기

The States 2007/11/04 16:24
미국이란 나라는 2005년 출장 이후 학생이라는 신분으로는 처음으로 방문하는 나라다. 가본 곳이라고 해봤자. San Diego의 La Jolla (라~ 졸라? 졸라 좋다고 그래서 그런가?  라 호야라고 부르라고 혼났다)는 은퇴한 미국인들이 가고 싶어하는 곳이라 그런지 한적하고 여유 롭긴 하지만 좀 심심한 듯한 느낌이 나는 곳이 었다. 일주일의 방문으로 무언가 구체적으로 말한다는 것이 적당하지 않다고 본다.
이곳 Atlanta 에 머문지도 3개월이 되었지만, 사실 학생의 입장으로 게다가 영어의 어려움 (어쩌다 보면 초등학생보다 못한 문법의 실력을 말한후에 자각하고 어의 없어하는 나자신을 본다 (over there라고 해야할 것을 over here라고 한다던지)으로 제대로된 문화와 생활이 어떻게 돌아가는지 확실하게 파악하긴 힘들어서 마찬가지로 이게 미국이다라고 말하기엔 아직 멀었다.
그냥 지금까지 한국 사람으로 학생의 입장에서 본 미국이란 곳이 어떤 곳인지 제 3의 눈으로 바라 보면 어떨까 싶다. 영화에서 보면 미국이란 나란 왠지 다 총 쏘고 무섭게 느껴지지만 모든 사람이 그렇듯 처음 본 환경에는 낯설고 경계를 쉽게 풀지 못하고 약간의 미디어 편견이 추가되어 그렇게 만든 것이라고 보면 된다. 물론 아파트에 종종 꼽아져있는 안내문에 혼자 나가지 마세요 등의 간접적 경고가 다시 주의를 환기시키곤 하지만, 살다보면 무감각해진다.
Atlanta에 와서 제일 놀란 것은  교통 질서다. 선진국은 왠지 교통 질서 잘 지키고 양보 잘 할 것 같지만, 그렇지 않다. 이건 프랑스에서도 느낀 것이지만, 여기 교통은 약간의 살기가 느껴진다. 서울의 교통 체증에 익숙해져서 그런지 시속 55마일 기준에서도 70~80마일을 예사로 달리며 가끔 깜박이도 빼먹고 끼어들고 여기 하이웨이가 차선도 좁고 워낙에 구불구불해서 그런지 항상 운전을 하게 되면 긴장을 하게된다. 약간이라도 늦게 가면 (55마일 기준도로에서 60마일) 후방 약 2미터 정도에서 백밀러로 보면 헤드라이트가 안보일 정도로 따라 붙는 차주의 마음을 이해하기란 여간 힘든게 아니다. 그리고 여긴 혼자 차몰면서 왜 트럭을 그렇게 많이 모시는지 덩치 큰 트럭들이 80마일로 밟아 주시면 기름값 싸서 이것들이 난리구나 라고 생각이 들게 된다. 1차선도 아닌 다른 차선에 서 가고 있는데 그러면 서울 같아서는 브레이크를 살짝 밟아주고 싶긴 하지만 왠지 뒤에서 총쏠까봐(아직도 가지고 있는 편견) 얼른 내가 같이 밟아주다 옆으로 빠진다. 게다가 여긴 아름답게 서울 처럼 정체도 있으시다. 정말 서있는다. 그래서 보통 아주 일찍 가서 아주 늦게 집에 온다거나 아니면 늦게 가서 늦게 온다거나 하는 등하교를 반복 하고 있다. 그리고 고속도로 주변엔 정말 타이어 터진 조각, 서있는 차들을 많이 보게 된다. 워낙에 많은 거리를 뛴 차량들 때문에 그러리라 생각된다.
여기까지 3개월된 미국 초보가 Atlanta  고속도로를 보면서 개인적으로 느낀 점을 썼다. 다른 주나 다른 도시는 어떨지도 알고 싶다. 다음 번엔 주거 환경?을 써보고 싶다.


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Singing Expressway in Korea

주목 注目 Attention 2007/10/30 18:28

Video: Singing Expressway in Korea
from http://itviewpoint.com
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Picking Pockets on the Lawn: Review

Human-Centered Computing 2007/10/25 14:43

This paper provides insights about seams that most ubiquitous computing systems try to conceal to be used as a part of outdoor mobile multiplayer game. Since seams, gaps and breaks sometimes make users feel discontinued to use systems, most researchers hide the seams that can be seem to interrupt in their system. According to this paper, a different way of looking at the seams for the design of systems is to build the seamful features into a portion of the system to enhance the attractiveness and immersion of the game. Ubiquitous systems are usually composed of applications and infrastructures. Especially, infrastructures such as WiFi and GPS often show the limitations of continuity due to the coverage while applications may be seamless. However, the authors believe that making these seamful features visible to users on their game is an advantage so a user can use these feature as their tactics and strategy for their play. They observed the effect of seamful features to user’s tactics, strategies and collaboration for playing games.

The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to a novel way of thinking about the design of ubiquitous computing systems and to draw how users’ tactics, strategies and collaboration changed through the several playing of the games over time. Player’s development is from combining old and new media through a historical and social process, but not through the space or the system. On the other hands, the authors claim that they were able to observe the change of the interaction between players using detailed system logs and video data. If they did not have these data, some changes could not be recognized. Thus, the authors make us think about how to use detailed system logs and video data and provide some insights on the way of system designs that may support the development of tactics and strategies

 

In my opinion, it is a great idea to use seams as an element of games. Unfortunately, we should think again about why most researchers want to hide seams in ubiquitous systems. According to the authors’ assumption, there are some flaws. First, they focused on a game using seamful features such as the coverage of wireless infrastructure. But, there is always a possibility of change in infrastructure. Most recently, WiMax is developing from the drawback of WiFi to support full coverage. Thus, the change of an infrastructure influences their game design and seamful features can be worthless regardless of the intent of game designers. Second, they thought that player’s development of a game can be generalized to use ubicomp infrastructure not only as a technical artifact but also as a resource for user’s interaction. However, they experimented with their methodology in the specific place three times. If they carried an experiment in a different place, they could observe a different result. Because each place has different characteristic, race and religion of participants can also impact on what kind of tactics and strategy players choose. Moreover, if we do not use seamful features in ubiquitous computing system, ubicomp infrastructure cannot be used as user’s interaction but only used as  infrastructure. Therefore, the authors’ claim might be valid only in their experimental environment. In conclusion, we should investigate the effect of seamful and seamless features in general ubiquitous computing system to apply for the design of a new technology and infrastructure.

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Rethinking the Design of the Internet: The End-to-End Argument vs. the Brave New World - Analysis

Human-Centered Computing 2007/10/20 23:48

This article describes the design of the Internet as evolution from simplicity and solid ground to complexity and uncertainty. Emerging new players, requirements and context in the Internet expedites this latest move. Also, we can reflect on how to keep the Internet’s original design principles with the minimum modification, as well as how to absorb emerging new requirements in order to cope with the beginning of a new era.

At the very inception of the Internet, the end-to-end arguments have leaded to the design of the Internet. These arguments have provided the Internet with openness, universality and adaptability. It means that the core of network was separated from the specific application-level functions to keep the core simple and general. However, the introduction of new stakeholders and requirements made the design of the Internet fall apart from the end-to-end arguments. The change of design’s principles is caused by many reasons. For example, it would be caused by the advent of challenging applications, the concern of the government, and service differentiation from ISPs. For these reasons, the classification of the functions existing in and on the core of network based on the end-to-end arguments is becoming vague. Thus, we make an effort to accord new emerging network paradigm with the end-to-end model rather than relinquish the end-to-end arguments. Additionally, technical responses and nontechnical solutions (not “in” or “on” the core of network) to the issues raised in the article might guide the design of the Internet with trustworthy interactions. In summary, this article identified emerging requirements and gave us ideas about technical and nontechnical solutions. The author describes that harmony among stakeholders and reciprocal actions in the Internet provide us the way to keep the Internet valuable and flexible.

 

In today’s world, the consumer is central to the Internet. They are no longer incidental to the government, ISPs, and third parties. This article emphasizes to technical solution and the role of law to remedy uncertainty. But, the characteristic and the role of users play the most important role in the design of the Internet. Beyond technology, the rise of the Web 2.0, which is the prime mover driving everything from fashion to political change, is one of the most noticeable changes brought by the current evolution in the Internet. Moreover, the design of the Internet would have to consider far more issues than the Internet itself due to the convergence of telecommunication including the Internet, mobile, and telephony. Convergence is producing the “creative gales of destruction” as told by economist Joseph Schumpeter. For example, mobile internet providers attempted to create walled gardens to provide their own services with customers, but users continued to feel angry about their attempts. Also, in the article by Ken Wieland, he wrote, “In Japan, 70 percent of traffic generated by NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode service is from accessing "non-official" sites. And with the rise of Web 2.0 Web sites, consumers, more than ever, don’t want to be in a strait jacket designed by the mobile operator”. The above examples show that artificial efforts against customers do not work and poor user experience is another impediment to proliferate the usage of the Internet.

In conclusion, there are clear implications for the design of the Internet. We have tried to do everything “in” or “on” the core of network in the past. Instead, we have to understand the user-centric networks and define and design the Internet which is likely to benefit users.

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ConNexus to Awarenex - Analysis

Human-Centered Computing 2007/10/20 23:44
    This paper provides insights about prototypes using simple heuristics to present a summary of the activity and current location of users and a solution to the problem of keeping remote and mobile workers in touch. Since each media has different characteristics, communication resources have different roles so users switch resources depending on their own knowledge. According to this paper, users might be able to select the most appropriate way to communicate with others; even if they are on the move, with awareness information. The authors added awareness information to existing infrastructures and modified their user interfaces to improve seamless communication on the workplace context. They observed the effect of integrated interface for communication resources such as instant messaging, email and telephony which change the behavior of users. They also experimented the way to provide convenience to mitigate their effort to find out what the fitting method is.
    The authors provided 3 prototypes (ConNexus, Awarenex, and telephone service) to be tailored to user's convenience on each platform to provide same functionalities. Their main components provide four elements. First, the location where people are at to help users determine which contact information to use. Second, the final time they used the system in order to trace the user status. Third, the devices they are using. Finally, the current schedules to provide what people are doing. Thus, the authors make us think about how to switch media smoothly with various awareness information. Moreover, this paper is based on the inception of current unified communication to streamline communications, build a future-ready foundation for communications, increase efficiency and reduce costs.


   
In spite of the authors' effort, in my opinion, there are still some flaws. First, they thought that their prototypes were appropriate for users on the workplace and users had the ability to manipulate the awareness information in order to find the way to communicate with another. But, rather than providing users with an intuitive selection tool which shows only the possible choices, there were too many alternative choices for the users to make a decision. Thus, the system should use statistical information or the pattern of users to decide which contact information is the most appropriate and guide them to the only possible one. Second, technologies like ConNexus and Awarenex raise privacy concerns. Somebody might misuse the system with malicious intent to keep watch on users. There should be a way to make their awareness information available only to the people they allow to. Additionally, if users wish to use the system for online socializing, we should think about what factors should be added or taken away.

    It is the age of unified communication. It means that multimedia, cross-media, message-management functions are controlled by an individual user for both business and social purpose. There are now many other barriers to be overcome such as infrastructure, administration, performance, and security. Future works have to provide not only the way of integration of communication systems including VoIP, audio/video/web conferencing, but also the methodology to evaluate systems.

References

John C. Tang, Nicole Yankelovich, James Begole, Max Van Kleek, Francis Li, Janak Bhalodia ConNexus to awarenex: extending awareness to mobile users March 2001 Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems CHI '01

Geoff Johnson Microsoft Communicator Overhangs the Enterprise Communications Market May 2007 Gartner ID Number: G00145415

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