Computer Crashes, Error Messages, and Spam: A Struggle of Modern Tech - Essay Sample

Introduction

Computers generate a significant impact on people’s lives, providing a lot of benefits to their users. However, computer users are still experiencing frustration. The occurrence of computer crashes that cause users to lose work. Users often struggle to understand error messages, and the amount of time spent by users to get rid of spam and viruses is becoming significant struggle of modern technologies. Computer software developers must understand and conduct research that is necessary for taking steps towards the elimination of struggles that cause users to become frustrated when using computers. Developers have to gain knowledge about the things that frustrate computer users. We can identify the first reason that every user is still irritated with recent applications is errors. Users always find errors to be very frustrating. When users realize that a program is not performing at its correct state, even though it is the user's fault, a flaw in the design of the software or the implementation of a bug, users will be frustrated even if they are causing the system to malfunction. Also, spam emails, pop-up ads, and viruses are considered to be errors because they allow users to perceive a problem that prevents a computing system from producing the preferred results, and users cannot attain their performance objectives.

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Furthermore, time delays are a second reason for frustration for users. Users prefer their response time to be short. Users’ past experiences determine the appropriate response time. Beginner users, unlike expert users, are prone to wait longer for the computers to respond. Time delays result from several f components and actors, and it is not predictable. Time delays reduce users focus and make web content less interesting. Emotional reactions can be defined as mood instabilities and somatic uneasiness, which increases with the time that users spent when carrying out data entry during the day. Complex systems and poorly crafted interfaces contribute to negative emotional responses that can lead to confusion, frustration, and failure (Irina, Jonathan, Katie, John, & Shneiderman, 2004).

Suggest one (1) method for reducing the frustrations for each of the reasons you supplied in Question one (1).

I would suggest lowering frustrations that are related to errors that developers will create software that provides more explicit instructions to users. Developers need to design software that users will have a sense of being in control of a situation or activity. Users must be able to correct errors, which will confirm that the performed actions will change the results in the way you desire. Software needs to be designed in a way that offers consistency. Moreover, time delays can be reduced by providing indications to users about how much time users have to wait for getting results after performing a task. Some applications, such as modern web browsers, are doing their best to provide information about response time. Even though it is not always to eliminate the factors that cause time delays, it is very helpful to take the necessary measures to prevent time delays when users perform tasks in the computing system (Daniel, 2012). At last, emotional reactions can be reduced by designing highly dependable software, appealing user interfaces, and the improvement in training (Irina, Jonathan, Katie, John, Shneiderman, 2004).

Describe methods for determining if user frustration is caused by poor system design or from the natural frustration associated with learning a new software product

Human-computer interfaces can cause frustrations to users when they are poorly designed. This situation may deteriorate users’ productivity, mood, and interactions with co-workers. One method that can be used to determine frustration produced by natural frustration or poor system design is to ask users to record their frustrations about HCI while interacting with computers for their individual use as opposed to when they are using a computer to perform assigned tasks. The second method is to examine user frustrations in the workplace. This type of examination will allow developers to differentiate the level of frustrations among students and professional users. It also determines the level of frustrations when users must perform a very important task using computers. Examination measures the level of frustration among young users, experienced users, and physically impaired users. Research has concluded that young, older, and physically impaired users react differently in the event of errors, response time, and other factors that cause users to become frustrated. Since universal usability in human-computer interface has been a great, and modern goal for all developers in the creation of successful software interfaces, research must be conducted on all types of users in the understanding, prevention, and the provision of measures that will accommodate different populations of users (Irina, Jonathan, Katie, John, & Shneiderman, 2003).

Suggest at least three (3) methods to reduce the frustrations among the disabled population and how this population can be better served.

Around ten percent of the world’s inhabitants, which can be assessed by about 650 million individuals, are faced with some disabilities. A disability can be cognitive impairment, sensory, or physical that will negatively affect the capacity of a person to perform his or her daily activities. The digital era forced developers to make more progress in advancing technology that has significantly improved the living standard for the disabled community. Frustration can be reduced by improving accessibility for disabled people by developing assistive technology that is intended to improve a disabled person's useful abilities. The next suggestion for reducing frustration among disabled people is the integration of adaptive technology, which allows disabled people to benefit from technology that they couldn’t use in the past. To better serve the disabled community, accessible technology must be developed for offering technology that provides broad applications and by removing barriers that have prevented disabled people from accessing the world. Accessibility should be implemented in the design process of HCI, and developers must keep integrating accessibility, assistive, and adaptivity technology when designing products related to technology (Robert, Atkinson, & Daniel, n.d).

As you can see, users can have a bad experience when facing errors, time delays, and incompleteness in the usage of computers. Poorly designed interfaces are often associated with the types of events that cause users to become frustrated. Developers should take measures for reducing frustrations among users by designing more reliable software, better user interfaces, and to improve training. Developers must integrate technology, which will provide accessibility to users with disabilities, and to meet universal usability in designing their products.

References

Irina, C., Jonathan, L., Katie, B., John, R., Ben, S. (2004). Determining Causes and Severity of End-User Frustration. International Journal of Human-computer Interaction. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7eff/871ce258420be2cdcaadf2f2aecf5df4330a.pdf.

Daniel, H. (2012). Design: The Art of Reducing Frustration. Flying machine Studios. Retrieved from http://www.flyingmachinestudios.com/design/anatomy-of-frustration/.

Irina, C., Jonathan, L., Katie, B., John, R., Ben, S. (2003). Determining Causes and Severity of End-User Frustration. Conclusion and Future Work. Retrieved from http://hcil2.cs.umd.edu/trs/2002-11/2002-11.html.

Robert, D., Atkinson, & Daniel D. Castro. (n.d). Accessibility for People with Disabilities. Digital Quality of Life. Retrieved from http://www.itif.org/files/DQOL-7.pdf.