Parts 1, 2 3 and 4 are due Thursday, January 26. Parts 5 and 6 are due Tuesday, January 31.

I expect lively short essays, with complete correct grammatical English. (allowance made for non native speakers, but not for spelling errors a spell-checker could find.) You may (and probably should) include some annotated screen shots. (In Windows, alt print-screen puts a window image on the clipboard. You can then paste it into word document or a paint program.)

Write something you would like to read!

I will probably ask you to present some of your answers orally in class.

1. Apply for a CS615 account on the CS Department's unix system. Apply for that account even if you already have a unix account, so that you are put on the class mailing list. I will use your xxx.cs.umb.edu address so be sure to read there regularly.

2. Print and fill out the questionnaire linked from the course web page at www.cs.umb.edu/~eb/615/index.html.

3. Arrange to get the texts, but do not read them before doing the rest of the assignment. (It may be hard to resist, since the books are well written and compelling.)

4. Reflect on user interface experiences in your past. Describe two - one very unsatisfactory, one very satisfactory. You may write about web sites, computer applications, or real (rather than virtual) interactions.

5. Imagine a specific task to perform on the web - order a book, find some information, donate to your favorite charity ...

   1. Write as precise a description as you can of what you hope the end result will be when you have accomplished this task. Make sure you do this before you try to do the job.

   2. Try two ways to accomplish your task (starting with two web sites, or two searches, or ...). Describe your experience carefully. In order to do that you should keep notes as you go - don't try to remember what happened.

   3. Compare your experiences. Did you succeed or fail? Easily or with difficulty? Straightforwardly, or with backtracking? (If your task requires a purchase you don't actually have to buy anything. Get as far as entering your credit card information and cancel the transaction.)

6. One possible project is to critique (and possibly redesign) the interface for Galorath's SEER for Software planning tool. Watch the presentation at www.galorath.com/flash_presentations/sem_web_demo/