SCENARIO-BASED CLAIMS ANALYSIS OF MOOSBURG
SCENARIO 4
After closing the picture window, John wants to meet other people. He looks at the interface and decides to click on WHO. Then he sees one user Jaguar_Guest. By clicking on the link (the only one on the window), he obtains a little more information about the user. He suddenly realizes by looking at the IP address that this user with a strange name is himself. Now he wants to see if he can go to a virtual Arnold's. He clicks on LOOK and then see the first web page. Now he clicks on North (on the web page). He wants to continue going North and then clicks quickly on the North link. He is very disappointed to find he is back to the first page. He clicks again on North and looks carefully at the links. Now he realizes that the link at the top is South, North is in the middle position and West is at the bottom. This is completely different from the first-page links (from top to bottom: North, West, South). Now he clicks on the real North. On the new page South is on the top and North at the bottom. He decides to look carefully at the links now. A map is available on the right of the web page instead of a picture. He clicks on the map. A new window opens. He tries to click on the map but nothing happens. No close button is available, which is a real change from the previous pictures. He closes this window and click again on North. On the new page, the picture is on the left. He realizes that on the right a text sentence says, "nobody else is here". He goes South to check if this information was available on the preceding screen. This information is available on the other screen too. Now he goes twice North. He can see the picture of the Cellar. In the text description he finds Arnold's. No interaction is available with Arnold's. John is tired and decides to quit MOOsburg. He closes his browser.
CLAIMS ANALYSIS OF SCENARIO 4
- User information for guest visitors:
... provides some information about the number of users connected.
... allows the users to change their location to join someone else by clicking on that person's location.
... but the user doesn't know which name is his/her name.
... but the information about the user's computer can be too precise. The IP address and socket ports are very technical information and should be available to the wizards only.
- Direction links in the web page:
... are useful because the user will look mostly to the web page.
... help bridge the gulf of execution because the user will not have to memorize this information as it's available on the display.
... but the disposition of the links (North, South etc.) is not coherent from page to page. This is something important because one simple rule cannot be used to understand how to use the links. This is a real learnability problem.
- Maps non-clickable:
... are used when a picture was not available. This is better than nothing.
... but are redundant with the map from the toolbar.
... but the user may wants to go somewhere in Blacksburg by clicking on the map. This could be a good example of direct manipulation. The map would be a metaphor of the town.
- Pictures on different sides:
... can make the interface more interesting. The changes could be made to explain the position of the camera which took the picture.
... are not coherent and thus decrease the learnability.
- Information about peoples present in the same place:
... gives the social dimension to MOOsburg.
... allows the user to know immediately who is in the same place.
... but is not very visible. It's far from the center of the screen and the user will probably focus his eyes on the picture instead of on this information.
- Different ways to quit. The "@quit" command:
... provides the information to the other users.
... but doesn't close the interface. Nothing really shows to the user that he/she is not anymore in MOOsburg.
