SD 142 Solution
Paperclip Man
In class we contrasted the approach of Unix versus the Microsoft Suite "Paper clip" man aid.
(2x1) Which is better from a human factors perspective? ___________________________
Neither is better (1).
(1x2) Why?
This is an example of software for two different user groups (1). Unix is suitable for expert users but confusing to novice users. In contrast, the Paper clip man aids novice users but irritates a more experienced user. (1)
Hint: This is admittedly a hard question (indicated by the difficulty moderator) on part 1. Many students felt forced to say Yes or No, though they admitted they wavered when they really thought about the question. On a question with a low mark value (2 marks), don't be afraid to take a chance, especially if it has a difficulty moderator on it. Thinking outside the box is often required on these questions. When this question was marked in 1999, students who chose yes or no, and justified it received 2/4, 0 marks for their choice, but full marks for their justification. That was a generous marking, as a Yes or No answer cannot really be correctly justified in this case.