Re: [-empyre-] Re: semiomorphic..viral

[Troy Innocent <troy@iconica.org>]

Alan et al,

Yes, all those examples work with the same basic principle as you 
pointed out - recognising the separation of the data (content) from 
interface (the representation). Users of a MOO or MUD may have 
different experiences of the shared space depending on the interface 
they use to access it. There are of course, numerous debates over the 
qualities of various GUIs for operating systems.

This is an interface design problem. I am not a CHI person, so do not 
know of any in depth studies of the pros and cons of particular types 
of interface or if a classification system or typology has been 
established. However, I would not be suprised if the CHI community has 
studied this. As you suggested, what is perhaps more interesting is 
studying the phenomenological effect of these different representations 
ie. how the same data (or message) represented in different ways (or 
morphisms) change the perception / experience of that data.

So, a phenomenological typology of morphisms would be interesting 
indeed. Actually, in Peter Anders book 'Envisioning Cyberspace' he has 
some tables that describe spaces and levels of abstraction that might 
be interesting here?

Troy.

> I'm just wondering if there is a typology of such morphisms - for 
> example,
> skins for various applications, different mail readers getting the same
> info off the spool, different text interfaces for MOOs, MUDs, etc. - 
> the
> same for newsgroups - new GUIs for various MOOs, etc. etc. - not to
> mention the GUI variations in KDE, Gnome, even OSX. All of these have
> different phenomenologies, and more or less the same underlying
> information (beyond, say, window managers). There have been numerous
> studies of usage in relation to interface - I think what you're 
> describing
> is similar? - Alan
>
>
> On Sat, 25 Oct 2003, Troy Innocent wrote:
>
> > Alan and empyrians,
> >
> > Semiotic morphism was originally developed as a way to translate
> > between different types of Graphic User Interface design. Different
> > types of interface design can represent the same information, and this
> > process can occur automatically via an algorithmic process - the
> > 'content' and the representation are separated.
> >
> > In Semiomorph (http://iconica.org/artefact/) this idea is applied to 
> > an
> > electronic space which is represented as a third person digital game.
> > All of the game elements may be represented as either text, diagrams,
> > icons or simulation (the 'natural'  mode of game spaces - realism).
> >
> > Of course, it may potentially be applied to a wide range of possible
> > systems - such as those you have described. The key element is that 
> > the
> > system can be described in mathematical / symbolic terms so that it 
> > can
> > be defined in terms of functions, variables etc.
> >
> > Troy.
> >
> > > One question/comment reading this re: semiotic morphism - what
> > > morphisms?
> > > I'm thinking of morphism say in category theory or the early work of
> > > Julia
> > > Kristeva - one should be able to create and manipulate a semiotics of
> > > such
> > > morphisms - as well as analyze their underlying logic -
> > >
> > > - alan
> > >
> > >
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> > > http://www.anu.edu.au/english/internet_txt
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> > >
> > >
> > > > > Troy Innocent : troy@iconica.org : iconica.org
> >
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>
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>>> Troy Innocent : troy@iconica.org : iconica.org