Ubiquitous Computing Criticism Ubiquitous Computing Criticism
Seminar Ubiquitous Information Seminar Ubiquitous Information
Michael
Michael Rohs Rohs
6.2.2002
6.2.2002
Ubicomp
Ubicomp as Seen by its Critics as Seen by its Critics
• • Agustin A. Araya, Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science, Agustin A. Araya, Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science, San Jose State University: "... an attempt at a
San Jose State University: "... an attempt at a violent violent technological penetration of everyday life
technological penetration of everyday life ." ."
• • Stephen Stephen Talbott Talbott , Author: "... the feverish dream of spooks and , Author: "... the feverish dream of spooks and spies
spies – – to plant a to plant a ' 'bug bug' ' in every object in every object – – has been enlarged and has been enlarged and re- re -shaped into the millennial dream of ubiquitous computing." shaped into the millennial dream of ubiquitous computing."
• • Natascha Natascha Adamowsky, Humboldt Adamowsky , Humboldt- -Universit Universit ät zu Berlin: ä t zu Berlin:
"
"Ubiquitous computing Ubiquitous computing, so steht immer wieder zu lesen, sei die , so steht immer wieder zu lesen, sei die Vernetzung aller Dinge, bedeute die Allgegenwart von
Vernetzung aller Dinge, bedeute die Allgegenwart von Computern. Es geht also um
Computern. Es geht also um ein Projekt, das auf Totalit ein Projekt, das auf Totalitä ät abzielt t abzielt und nat
und natü ürlich auch rlich auch nah am Totalitä nah am Totalit ären steht ren steht ..." ..."
Source:
Estrin, et al.: Embedding the Internet: introduction, Communications of the ACM,
Ubicomp
Ubicomp Scenarios Scenarios
Smart sensor pills:
Programmable delivery vehicles for pharmaceuticals:
release substances based on bio-sensing, measure dose
Smart building materials:
- Sense vibrations, temperature, moisture - Monitor premises for
intruders
- Cancel street noise
Smart bridge deck:
- Senses / reports traffic, wind loads - Monitors structural
integrity
Fire hydrant measures water flow, senses heat
Street light senses foot and motor
traffic, polices area
Collar on dog for wireless location via GPS. Clothes on man contain location sensors and wireless network capabilities Home networks:
dishwashers, toasters, cable TV set-top boxes, toys, phones,
thermostats, PCs
Smart concrete detects earthquake
activity
" Pervasive" Pervasive Includes Human Body Includes Human Body
• • Wearables Wearables ! ! Shoes, Glasses, Clothes Shoes, Glasses, Clothes ! ! Body Implants Body Implants
– – Adamowsky Adamowsky : " : " Der Leib wird keine natürliche Oase bleiben Der Leib wird keine natürliche Oase bleiben inmitten der umfassenden Vernetzungsstrategien
inmitten der umfassenden Vernetzungsstrategien ." ."
• • Smart prostheses of every kind Smart prostheses of every kind
• • Body parts will contain chips Body parts will contain chips and will be
and will be wirelessly connectable wirelessly connectable
• • Border where human ends and machine begins Border where human ends and machine begins becomes blurred
becomes blurred
• • By 2010 direct link By 2010 direct link to nervous system to nervous system
E.g. heart patient wirelessly connected to monitoring computer E.g. heart patient wirelessly connected to monitoring computer
Source:
Source:J. ThackaraJ. Thackara: : ""The design challenge of pervasive computingThe design challenge of pervasive computing""
Why is
Why is Ubicomp Ubicomp being Criticized? being Criticized?
• • Explicit goal: Explicit goal: Revolutionary transformation of Revolutionary transformation of everyday life
everyday life
– – far reaching effects for each individual far reaching effects for each individual
– – Araya: "... Araya: "... ubicomp ubicomp proposals should not remain proposals should not remain
unchallenged, but be subject to intense investigation.
unchallenged, but be subject to intense investigation." "
• • Guiding principle: Guiding principle: Computers Computers vanish into the vanish into the background
background and are and are woven into the fabric woven into the fabric of every of every day life
day life
– – Seen as an attempt to let ubicomp Seen as an attempt to let ubicomp go unnoticed in order to go unnoticed in order to bypass resistance:
bypass resistance:
Weiser
Weiser : "the most profound revolutions are not the ones : "the most profound revolutions are not the ones trumpeted by pundits, but those that
trumpeted by pundits, but those that sneak in when we are not sneak in when we are not looking
looking " "
Criticism Categories Criticism Categories
• • Emotional reactions Emotional reactions ! ! P P hilosophical analyses hilosophical analyses
• • Criticism Categories Criticism Categories
– – Surveillance Surveillance
– – Marginal perceived value, irrelevance Marginal perceived value, irrelevance – – Loss of control and loyalty Loss of control and loyalty
– – False promises False promises
– – Primacy of technology Primacy of technology over human needs: over human needs:
"technological absolutism" (Araya)
"technological absolutism" (Araya) – – Every Every where and where and every every thing: thing:
"nah am
"nah am Totalitä Totalit ären ren " ( " ( Adamowsky Adamowsky ) ) – – Human world relationships change: Human world relationships change:
Environment looses its "otherness"
Environment looses its "otherness"
Useless Frills?
Useless Frills?
• • Steven Levy: "Technology: What You'll Want Next", Steven Levy: "Technology: What You'll Want Next", Newsweek, May 31, 1999
Newsweek, May 31, 1999
• • Letters to the editor Letters to the editor : :
– – "... useless frills "... useless frills, trivial conveniences for the rich ..." , trivial conveniences for the rich ..."
– – "Descriptions of the world of ubiquitous computing are "Descriptions of the world of ubiquitous computing are dazzling, if only for their
dazzling, if only for their sheer silliness sheer silliness . If you rate . If you rate humanity's needs
humanity's needs for the coming century on a scale of 1 to for the coming century on a scale of 1 to 10, none of the products and services depicted in Levy's 10, none of the products and services depicted in Levy's article rises much beyond a score of 1.5. ... one generation article rises much beyond a score of 1.5. ... one generation after another of
after another of superfluous techno- superfluous techno -junk junk." ."
– – "Why are we getting excited about developing technology "Why are we getting excited about developing technology that allows us to check e
that allows us to check e- -mail in the car when we have yet mail in the car when we have yet to figure out how to distribute food and resources in a way to figure out how to distribute food and resources in a way that helps 1.5 billion people living in poverty?"
that helps 1.5 billion people living in poverty?"
Surveillance Surveillance
• • H. H. Rheingold Rheingold : "... : "... Ubicomp Ubicomp might lead directly might lead directly to a future of
to a future of safe, efficient, soulless, and safe, efficient, soulless, and merciless universal surveillance
merciless universal surveillance " "
• • R. Lucky: "The old sayings that R. Lucky: "The old sayings that 'the walls 'the walls have ears'
have ears' and and 'if these walls could talk' 'if these walls could talk' have have become the disturbing reality.
become the disturbing reality. The world is The world is filled with all
filled with all - - knowing, all knowing, all - - reporting things. reporting things. " "
Marginal Perceived Value (Araya) Marginal Perceived Value (Araya)
• • Marginal character of needs presented in scenarios Marginal character of needs presented in scenarios
– – Scenarios do not present anything fundamentally new Scenarios do not present anything fundamentally new – – No justification for enormous research efforts and No justification for enormous research efforts and
complexity of required infrastructure complexity of required infrastructure
• • Things go faster and smoother Things go faster and smoother
– – Weiser: Weiser : " "less strain, less mental gymnastics less strain, less mental gymnastics" "
• • Ubicomp Ubicomp appears to be appears to be driven by technology driven by technology
– – Ubicomp Ubicomp has little to do with human needs has little to do with human needs, but with , but with unfolding of technology per se
unfolding of technology per se: primacy of technology over : primacy of technology over needs
needs
Vagueness of
Vagueness of Ubicomp Ubicomp Vision Vision
• • Scenarios appear to be pretty meager, compared Scenarios appear to be pretty meager, compared to the dimensions of the envisioned goal
to the dimensions of the envisioned goal
• • Technologi Technologi cal advancements (miniaturization, cal advancements (miniaturization,
processing power, wireless connectivity) open up processing power, wireless connectivity) open up new possibilities
new possibilities
– – unclear how to use these possibilities constructively unclear how to use these possibilities constructively – – unclear what things have to say to each other unclear what things have to say to each other
R. Lucky: "Everything will be connected to everything else. ...
R. Lucky: "Everything will be connected to everything else. ...
no one has any idea what all those connections will mean ..."
no one has any idea what all those connections will mean ..."
• • Trapped in the "innovation Trapped in the "i nnovation dilemma"? dilemma"?
– – Know Know how to make things, but not how to make things, but not what what to make to make
The Innovation Dilemma (J.
The Innovation Dilemma (J. Thackara Thackara ) )
• • We know We know how how to make
to make
amazing things amazing things (upper line)
(upper line)
• • We don We don ' ' t know t know what what to make to make (lower line) (lower line)
• • " " Brilliant on Brilliant on means
means but but pretty
pretty hopeless hopeless on on ends ends " "
• • Divergence between Divergence between
technological intensification technological intensification and perceived value
and perceived value
Source:
Source:J.J.ThackaraThackara: : ""The design challenge of pervasive computingThe design challenge of pervasive computing""
Loss of Control and Loyalty Loss of Control and Loyalty
• • R. Lucky: "Everything will be connected to everything R. Lucky: "Everything will be connected to everything else":
else":
– – "My refrigerator "My refrigerator ... would refuse to open ... would refuse to open at certain hours of at certain hours of the day, having talked to my bathroom scale."
the day, having talked to my bathroom scale."
– – "If I exceed the speed limit, [my car] reports me, and if I try "If I exceed the speed limit, [my car] reports me, and if I try to park illegally, it
to park illegally, it refuses to turn off refuses to turn off or to let me open the or to let me open the door."
door."
– – "I want to disengage these features, but the car comes with "I want to disengage these features, but the car comes with a shrink
a shrink- -wrap agreement whose legalese implies that the wrap agreement whose legalese implies that the purchaser has
purchaser has only licensed its capabilities without any true only licensed its capabilities without any true ownership
ownership. The car now owes its primary allegiance to the . The car now owes its primary allegiance to the new mega
new mega -company, - company, Motorsoft. Motorsoft .
– – "I feel surrounded by enemies and traitors." "I feel surrounded by enemies and traitors."
False Promises for Simplification False Promises for Simplification
• • L. Winner: "The Voluntary Complexity Movement": L. Winner: "The Voluntary Complexity Movement":
– – "Simplify. Save time. Reduce effort. Liberate yourself from "Simplify. Save time. Reduce effort. Liberate yourself from toil. This has been the continuing siren song of consumer toil. This has been the continuing siren song of consumer technology throughout the twentieth century."
technology throughout the twentieth century."
– – "According to anthropologists Silicon Valley employees have "According to anthropologists Silicon Valley employees have an endlessly busy, complicated, precariously balanced,
an endlessly busy, complicated, precariously balanced, strung
strung- -out existence in which traditional boundaries out existence in which traditional boundaries between work and leisure have evaporated.
between work and leisure have evaporated. ... Adding smart ... Adding smart machines to every corner of the built environment does
machines to every corner of the built environment does nothing to alleviate these patterns of hurry, stress and nothing to alleviate these patterns of hurry, stress and disconnection from people.
disconnection from people." "
– – "... cramming more and more tasks into already harried "... cramming more and more tasks into already harried days, adopting all kinds of
days, adopting all kinds of digital technology as glue to hold digital technology as glue to hold things together.
things together." "
Change in Human
Change in Human — — World World Relationship
Relationship ( ( Araya Araya ) )
• • Environment is intimately tuned to us by engaging Environment is intimately tuned to us by engaging itself into our activities
itself into our activities
– – ubicomp ubicomp extends our "nervous system" through sensors extends our "nervous system" through sensors as artificial nerves
as artificial nerves
– – physical surroundings become an extension of our bodies physical surroundings become an extension of our bodies – – environment becomes "us" rather than "other" environment becomes "us" rather than "other"
• • Tagged things Tagged things
– – things cannot get lost things cannot get lost
– – things lose their "otherness" things lose their "otherness"
– – "things" have been transformed into "surveillable "things" have been transformed into " surveillable things" things"
– – transformation disappears transformation disappears
– – surveillance is the default state surveillance is the default state
• • Surrogates model aspects of the world Surrogates model aspects of the world
– – arbitrary, depending on interpretation of the world arbitrary, depending on interpretation of the world
Do we care?
Do we care?
• • Possibility for surveillance is a serious problem Possibility for surveillance is a serious problem
• • Ubicomp Ubicomp affects society as a whole, therefore its affects society as a whole, therefore its design should be an interdisciplinary effort
design should be an interdisciplinary effort
– – Adamowsky Adamowsky : : " " We have to examine very seriously what we We have to examine very seriously what we intend and wish, because only then do we have a chance to intend and wish, because only then do we have a chance to design
design ubicomp ubicomp in a meaningful way in a meaningful way and actually arrive and actually arrive there.
there. " "
• • Marginal value? Marginal value?
– – "Civilization advances by extending the number of important "Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about operations which we can perform without thinking about them."
them." – – Alfred North Whitehead Alfred North Whitehead
References References
• Natascha N. Adamowsky: Kulturelle Relevanz, Ladenburger Diskurs "Ubiquitous Computing", February 2000. Available at: http://www.inf.ethz.ch/vs/events/slides/adamowldbg.pdf
• Agustin A. A. Araya: Questioning ubiquitous computing, Proceedings of the 1995 ACM 23rd annual conference on Computer science, pp. 230-237, 1995. Available at:
http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/259526.259560
• Hans Ulrich Buhl, Jürgen Schackmann, Matthias Knobloch, Cem Ulukut: Diskussion zu: Ubiquitous Computing - Oder was kommt nach der Informationsgesellschaft?, Wirtschaftsinformatik 42 (2000) 5, Meinung/Dialog, Mai 2000
• Stephen Doheny-Farina (1994). Default = Offline or Why Ubicomp Scares Me, Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine, 1 (6):8. Available at: http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1994/oct/last.html
• Deborah Estrin, et al.: Embedding the Internet: introduction, Communications of the ACM, Volume 43, Issue 5 (May 2000)pp. 38-41, 2000. Available at: http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/332833.332836
• Martin Heidegger: The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays, trans. William Lovitt. New York:
Harper and Row. 1977. Available at:
http://www.centenary.edu/~balexand/cyberculture/question1.html http://www.centenary.edu/~balexand/cyberculture/question2.html http://www.optdesign.com/Philosophy/Heidegger2.htm
• Thomas Leavitt: We'll Get What We Choose (and I'll Choose Convenience), NETFUTURE: Technology and Human Responsibility, Issue #98, November 1999. Available at:
http://www.oreilly.com/~stevet/netfuture/1999/Nov2399_98.html#3e
• Robert Lucky: Connections – Everything will be connected to everything else. IEEE Spectrum, March 1999.
Available at: http://www.argreenhouse.com/papers/rlucky/spectrum/connect.shtml
References References
• Klaus Mainzer: Ubiquitous Computing - Perspektiven für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Wirtschaftsinformatik 42 (2000) 5, Meinung/Dialog, Mai 2000
• Andrew Odlyzko: The visible problems of the invisible computer: A skeptical look at information appliances, AT&T Labs - Research, Revised version, September 7, 1999. Available at:
http://www.research.att.com/~amo/doc/visible.problems.pdf
• David Porush: Ubiquitous Computing vs. Radical Privacy: A Reconsideration of the Future, Computer- Mediated Communication Magazine, Volume 2, Number 3, p. 46, 1995, Available at:
http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1995/mar/last.html
• Howard Rheingold: PARC is Back, Wired 2.02, February 1994. Available at:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.02/parc_pr.html
• Steve S. Talbott: The Trouble With Ubiquitous Technology Pushers (Part 1), or: Why We'd Be Better Off without the MIT Media Lab, NETFUTURE: Technology and Human Responsibility, Issue #100, January 2000. Available at: http://www.oreilly.com/~stevet/netfuture/2000/Jan0600_100.html#3
• Steve S. Talbott: The Trouble With Ubiquitous Technology Pushers (Part 2), or: Why We'd Be Better Off without the MIT Media Lab, NETFUTURE: Technology and Human Responsibility, Issue #101, January 2000. Available at: http://www.oreilly.com/~stevet/netfuture/2000/Oct0500_112.html#1
• Steve S. Talbott: The Trouble With Ubiquitous Technology Pushers (Part 3), To Automate, or Re-enflesh?, NETFUTURE: Technology and Human Responsibility, Issue #112, October 2000. Available at:
http://www.oreilly.com/~stevet/netfuture/2000/Oct0500_112.html#1
• John J. Thackara: The design challenge of pervasive computing, Doors of Perception, April 2000. Available at: http://www.doorsofperception.com/projects/chi/
• John J. Thackara: The design challenge of pervasive computing, interactions, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 46- 52, May/June 2001. Available at: http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/369825.369832
References References
• Phil Walsh, When Living Becomes an Inconvenience, NETFUTURE: Technology and Human Responsibility, Issue #96, October 1999. Available at:
http://www.oreilly.com/~stevet/netfuture/1999/Oct1499_96.html#3b
• Mark Weiser: The Computer for the Twenty-First Century. Scientific American 265, no. 3 (1991): 94-104.
Available at: http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/SciAmDraft3.html
• Mark Weiser: Some Computer Science Problems in Ubiquitous Computing. Communications of the ACM, 36, no.7 (1993): 75-84. Available at: http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/UbiCACM.html
• Mark Weiser and Seely Brown, John: Designing Calm Technology. Palo Alto: Xerox PARC, 1995. Available at: http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/calmtech/calmtech.htm
• Peter Welzel: Ubiquitous Computing - Von der Vision zu ökonomischen Konsequenzen, Wirtschaftsinformatik 42 (2000) 5, Meinung/Dialog, Mai 2000
• Langdon Winner: The Voluntary Complexity Movement, NETFUTURE: Technology and Human Responsibility, Issue #94, September 1999. Available at:
http://www.oreilly.com/~stevet/netfuture/1999/Sep1499_94.html#3
