WHO IS THE USER?: - This idea of the user, is something that has been prominent throughout the history of computers, the internet, the web, etc. But, have the users changed? Have we become more intelligent, alongside the technology? Or has the computer, the technology surpassed us already? Are we still in control? Does technology need to always be told what to do, or do they have an initiative of their own. "... The field of design constrained itself to fit into the vocabulary and mentality of the engineered user." "A certain vocabulary was built to cater to the needs of a user who is increasingly unaware of their role in a system that is built upon their choices, and is always hungry for more comfort and ease of mind." - As technology became more and more accessible to the public, its complex DNA had to become understandable to people who did not understand it, for its success. *As designers, we have to think about what the public needs, or already has but most importantly what they WANT and making sure that what they want is (for me personally) moral, efficient, personalized - or not- and functional. BUT also as the technology became more accessible, more and more people began to understand its make-up. POLITICS OF THE USER: Everything the internet has to offer is in the users free-will. You want something, you can do it, or find it, or buy it, or read about it, or hack it, or literally anything, because the possibilities are endless, and this concept is so young that its growth is sky rocketing because of this massive spread of knowledge, exploration, and accessibility. (Change is ALWAYS a good thing.) "What drugs were in the 1960's, computers were in the 1980s." "You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world." *hypercentralization "...passive consumers of experiences and the latter passive consumers of specs for these experiences." THE ROLE OF THE INTERFACE: "Interfaces mediate the boundary between a user and the information destined to reach them, and be generated from them." -The interface (to me) seems like a places where personalization, style, and individualism within computer technology comes to place. ESPECIALLY with designers. Does the user really have all of the control? or do we modify what we want/ how we want it, keen to what we know the computer can do, or how the computer will respond? YES, YOU SHOULD THINK: Move away from the mentalities like "Don't make me think" -It is starting to seem like users are becoming lazy, because technological advancements are partly to make our lives easier, or better. And with that, instant gratification has arose. But the endless possibilities will not be achieved if we move forward with a lazy mindset. *optimism