Sheeran, L; Sasse, MA; Rimmer, J; Wakeman, I; (2000) Back to basics: is a better understanding of the Internet a precursor for effective use of the web? In: Proceedings of NordiCHI. NordiCHI: Stockholm, Sweden.

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Abstract

Due to the rapid growth of the Internet over the past few years, the profile of Internet users has changed considerably, growing from a small group of professionals and experts to a large group of mostly novice and intermediate users. Since the Internet is a best-effort service, high levels of usage can lead to slowing down and occasional breakdown of service. However, networked applications such as Web browsers currently fail to take this into account. This paper reports on two studies, which found most users’ models of networks to be patchy and inaccurate. Feedback provided by the Web browsers, such as error messages, did not help the users identify the appropriate action when they encountered problems. We suggest that designers of Web browsers and Web sites should provide users with appropriate models of network operations in their help systems and explanatory pages which helps users understand the underlying technology. This will allow users to appropriately diagnose and recover from breakdown situations. Additionally, this knowledge will give users the confidence to explore the possibilities of the Web further.

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