RE: Running vs starting apps

[David Grega <webmaster overtech zzn com>]

Well... I have to disagree with you there.  Microsoft made this technology 
available to programmers and if you have the proper knowledge, you can 
easily make these characters create what I like to call a Vocal User 
Interface with windows.  Granted, the technology MS used to back up MS 
Agent with speech capabilities isn't the best.  I agree these guessing 
features in Office are highly annoying.  I am not supporting this 
technology but I believe many people on this list have not been exposed to 
a programmer's view of MS Agent Technology (the technology behind those 
annoying Office characters).

- Dave

----------
From:  Tom Musgrove
Sent:  Wednesday, November 29, 2000 11:46 AM
To:  gnome-gui-list gnome org
Subject:  RE: Running vs starting apps

"Michael T. Babcock" wrote:

> I hate to disapoint people, but you know those little MS characters in
office?
> The only people I've met who _don't_ like them are computer pros or the
type of
> self-agrandising people who can't handle being told an answer by a 
cartoon
> character.

Hmm..  Of eight people in this office there is only one person that doesn't
hate the characters or asked me to turn them off.  She doesn't use it for
help either, she just likes 'having a cute kitty' on her desktop.  Only I
would be characterized as a 'computer pro', and only two other users are
moderately skilled users.  The rest are fairly naive users.  The reason 
they
are disliked, is because they actively interfere with doing work (they tend
to 'guess' wrong on the times to pop up and offer advice).  Nor would I
consider any of the individuals 'self-aggrandizing'.

Aside from the Office Assistant, I'm also asked to turn off the
auto-formatting for outlines and such- another instance where MS Office
consistently guesses wrong.

So, my experience with non 'computer pros' is quite the contrary to yours.
It would be interesting to see some good research on this.  I think the
office assistants are actually a pretty cool idea, but the underlying help
system isn't strong enough to make it a killer feature.

Tom M.
TomM Pentstar com


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