This past weekend, I had to reboot my washing machine. Not just turning it off and on, mind you, but a hard reboot. I pulled the power plug from the wall, waited a few moments, then plugged this so-called state-of-the-art clothes-cleaning machine back into the outlet. Flashing lights, a trill of beeps, and voil : I was back in business.
The whole experience got me to thinking just how complicated ordinary machines have become, how accustomed we’ve become at man-handling them into compliance””and just how wrong that is.
I have learned, for example, that when my computer slows to a crawl or my DSL connection drops, it’s time to reboot. I turn off the power to the PC, router, and DSL modem; wait 60 seconds; then turn the whole system back on and go make a pot of tea. In the time it takes the kettle to boil, my PC churns through its start-up routine and I have a cup of herbal tea to soothe my stress. Because as luck would have it, my PC almost never crashes when I’m casually reading e-mail or playing some mind-numbing game. No, my PC has an uncanny way of giving up on me just as I have a deadline to meet.
Somehow, my washing machine figured out this trick, too. I needed to pack clean socks and knickers for an early morning departure on a week-long trip. That’s when the washer started chirping like a bird and flashing an obscure code.
I then realized how much complexity is involved in making life simple. Sure, most days my Fisher Paykel washing machine beats a washboard in the river. And I can’t imagine going back to an IBM Selectric, let alone the Olivetti manual typewriter on which I pecked out term papers as a high-schooler.
Still, I fear we’re reaching a point of diminishing returns.
Technology is so complex that it takes squadrons of administrators at every enterprise and ISP to ensure that the vast interconnected e-mail system doesn’t collapse. Technology is so complex that we can no longer simply look under the hood of a car; a trained technician with the proper computer has to read engine codes to determine that some electronic part that costs something north of $500 is required to satisfy the relentless “check engine” light that flashes on the dashboard. Technology is so complex the people think it’s their problem when they just don’t understand a user interface. We’ve accepted the myth that computers are smart and people are stupid.
It’s time to change this situation. Products don’t become simpler by incorporating more complex technology. Software is not easier to use because it incorporates more intricate algorithms and interfaces. Hardware isn’t more robust because it integrates more firmware. Technology doesn’t make life easier if we must spend any amount of time worrying about making technology work for us.
As we adopt technology in support of an increasingly mobile and independent lifestyle, technology must be simple to understand, use, and repair. These are the sort of technologies I’m looking to bring to DEMOmobile in September. The good news is that I’ve found a few very intriguing possibilities. And the better news is that these new devices and services point to a new computing paradigm, one I’m calling service-oriented computing.
Service-oriented computing suggests that applications and data reside on centrally managed systems accessible by an array of simple and manageable devices. We’ll see the first glimpses of this model at DEMOmobile, and we’ll see this trend emerge on the larger stage over the next 24 months.
And it will arrive not a moment too soon. If my washing machine is getting more complicated, then please let my computing experience finally become more simple, because I’m pretty certain I can’t handle that many “smart” machines at once.
Extract from Wisconsin Technology Network