The emotional design of everyday things: The 2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science presented to Donald A. Norman

Donald Norman changed and continues to change the way in which we live our technology-infused and technology-based lives. Norman was one of the founders of the field of cognitive science and based on that work, he went on to create the field of user-centered design. It is the latter work for which he was awarded the 2006 Benjamin Franklin award in Computer and Cognitive Science. When one works within the paradigm of user-centered design, technology is created so that it is based on human cognitive capabilities, and is therefore, usable.¹ When technology is not designed in this way, it is often experienced as unusable.In creating the field of user-centered design, Donald Norman works at a conceptual level; his influence is therefore both widespread and profound.     

龟兔赛跑

从前,有一只乌龟和一只兔子在争辩谁跑得快,争论得无休无止,于是它们决定来一场比赛分个高下。它们选定路线,便开始比赛;兔子闪电般地;中了出去,轻快地跑了一阵子,掉头一看,乌龟已经被远远甩在后面了．于是它心想,我何不在树下休息一会儿,放松一下,然后再继续比赛？于是兔子停下脚步,坐在树下,很快便进入了梦乡。一路上笨手笨脚的乌龟则在兔子睡觉的这会功夫超过它,不一会儿完成比赛,不容置疑地成为冠军、兔子一觉醒来,已经输掉比赛了。     

Fan culture and motivation in the context of successful women’s professional team sports: a mixed-methods case study of Portland Thorns fandom

Abstract

By the metric of average home attendance, the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League are the most popular women’s professional sports team in the world. This paper investigates that distinct sports context through a mixed-methods case study of Thorns fandom, asking what fans themselves perceive to be salient elements of a successful fan culture for women’s professional soccer and what motivates their fandom. Drawing on survey data that are contextualized by ethnographic observations and interviews, we offer an interpretive analysis of ways Thorns fandom hybridizes elements of traditional and alternative sports fandom. Our findings highlight the emphasis Thorns fans put on quality soccer in a professional atmosphere where fans themselves create the supporters culture, along with the symbolic importance to fans of identifying with values such as gender empowerment, diversity and inclusion. We discuss ways these themes might offer and inform alternative models of sports fandom.     

Gender and digital divide 2000-2008 in two low-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Kenya and Somalia in official statistics

The Beijing World Conference on Women held in 1995 by the United Nations member states, approved strategies for improving women's access to and use of new communication technologies. The aim of this paper is to retrieve official statistics for the years 2000-2008 with regard to sex differences, gender and digital divide (specifically concerning telecommunication technologies) in two low-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya and Somalia. This paper reveals that official statistics on sex discrepancies and, the gender divide regarding access, use and benefits of telecommunications are still almost totally lacking for the countries in view. However, the digital divide is successively closing, and the telecommunication process in Kenya was quite rapid at the end of the period. Official statistics from Somalia are difficult to comprehend due to the absence of official data and a lack of evidence-based knowledge. Fifteen years after the Beijing Conference in 1995 there is still a lack of comprehensive statistics regarding new communication technologies for low-income economies such as Kenya and Somalia.     

Careers in aging: how job-seekers search for and how employers advertise positions in aging-related markets

Given its rapidly-aging population, the U.S. needs a workforce that is informed about and capable of meeting the diverse needs of older adults. Students pursing gerontology education may feel unsure of career opportunities as they enter a job market with traditionally clearly-defined disciplinary backgrounds. The goal of this study was to explore how people currently employed in an aging-related job searched for positions, and how this compared to phrasing used by employers to advertise job openings across several aging-related fields. A web-based survey was administered to employees in aging-related positions, and a search of four job-seeking websites to collect and analyze aging-related job postings was conducted. Most (63%) currently working in the field of aging reported finding their jobs through referral from a friend/colleague or through job search sites or job boards. Out of 493 relevant job postings identified, only 175 of the postings (35%), preferred or required applicants to have some type of aging-related knowledge, skills, training, or prior experience. There may be consequences to not specifically recruiting applicants with aging-related backgrounds: job seekers with qualifications in aging may look for other positions that expressly call for their specialized skills or knowledge, and quality of services and care may be different when provided by persons without such training.