Building a better computer mouse. A new user interface--the "mouse gesture--is slowly winning converts among software developers who hope to simplify repetitive tasks in computer applications. [CNET News.com]
So here I was - working on a new concept and phrase - to describe what our ABC (Activity Based Computing) software would be like. All the VC's, potential investors and employees have been asking me "Marc, what is it that makes your software so much better?"
So I've been trying out the phrase 'gesture' based.
So NOW it turns out that REAL 'kinetic gesturing' has been going on for a while in Opera, the browser and that the Mozilla folks are about to release a version supporting gesturing ('sliding the mouse to the left to go back', etc.)
So NOW I have to come up with another phrase - as most people - when they hear 'gesture' think of Tom Cruise and Minority Report - standing in front of that wraparound screen (with the handy dandy 'Jaron Lanier' glove.)
What I was trying to describe - was a whole sequence of steps, tasks, wizards, contrained choices, that navigate a user through a maze of decisions - which culminates in a specific activity. The whole sequence is wrapped up into one 'comprehensive 'gesture' (as I WAS calling it), rather than force the user to go and use 3-5 different programs, utils, etc. - to get something done.
So if it's not called a gesture - what is THAT called?
