Softaware


This is an article (in German) about the relationship between humans and software systems.

The article describes three prototypes of roles that software systems can take (from man’s perspective):

  • underdog (most technical slave systems)
  • big brother (some of the large social systems)
  • companions (a growing number of co-operative systems)

The article describes how systems have to be designed depending on their role. Examples are given to deepen the understanding of the relevance of a role model for man-machine interactions.

The title “softaware” is not a mis-spelling but an allusion to the fact that good software must have a clear understanding of its role in social context and must behave conformant to its desired/perceived role.

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