https://www.fastcodesign.com/3061519/evidence/the-ux-secret-that-will-ruin-apps-for-you
companies introduce what Kowitz calls an "artificial waiting" pattern into their interfaces. These are status bars, maybe a few update messages, to construct a facade of slow, hard, thoughtful work, even though the computer is done calculating your query.
[...] "My guys built this tool—it took single digit milliseconds to get the results back. And it was giving [accurate] results, not just some plan we wanted to sell them," Hoober says. "But when we tested with people, they assumed it was all marketing bullshit because it was instantaneous. They'd say, 'This was obviously a canned result, I'm just gonna shop myself.'"
"Coinstar is a great example of this. The machine is able to calculate the total change deposited almost instantly. Yet, during testing the company learned that consumers did not trust the machines. Customers though it was impossible for a machine to count change accurately at such a high rate. Faced with the issues of trust and preconceived expectations of necessary effort, the company began to rework the user experience. The solution was fairly simple. The machine still counted at the same pace but displayed the results at a significantly slower rate. In fact, the sound of change working the way through the machine is just a recording that is played through a speaker. Altering the user experience to match expectations created trust and met the customers expectation of the necessary effort to complete the task."
Not long ago I removed a delay in some old software that didn't seem to do anything (it still works and works faster). Perhaps I should add the delay back...
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Saturday September 03 2016, @01:26AM
Some cars now have "engine noise" piped through the entertainment system's speakers.
The designers have suppressed the engine noise so well, that they now need to add artificial noise back into the "experience".
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 03 2016, @01:40AM
Or to prevent blind people from getting hit.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @01:47AM
Nah, I listen for the sounds of tires on roadway when I cross the street.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @01:53AM
That is different. For example, my parent's new car has both. The car generates noise on the exterior between certain speeds, which I believe are 10 and 45 MPH.
What the GP is talking about is the "quiet mode" setting in the car stereo. It has three settings: off, passive, and active. When set to active, it tries to send inverted engine noise to cancel out. When set to passive, it doesn't do anything. When "off," it sends out fake engine noise. Of course, the manual is rather opaque as to what the setting actually do; but, we confirmed it by recording the output of the speakers with a smart phone. Sure enough, the engine noise got louder when the setting was set to off but only when pointed at the speaker. You could clearly see the spike in volume as the smartphone was rotated.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 03 2016, @01:57AM
Oh, that's fucked. You'd have to be some kind of idiot to want extra noise inside the car.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @02:14AM
Really?
How many different window managers have funky graphical and sound effects for window zooming and other shit?
Is anyone who turns that on also some kind of idiot?
Let people enjoy their toys.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @09:00AM
The idiots who want this kind of thing are the same kind of idiots who mis-tune their motorcycles to make them as loud as possible, to the detriment of everyone around them.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 03 2016, @09:24AM
Fags [wikipedia.org].
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by MostCynical on Saturday September 03 2016, @09:32AM
Best of both worlds: middle-aged man in sedan gets "sporty" engine and exhaust noise, but everyone outside hears "normal" (likely quiet) car.
Some people like a slightly... interesting.. noise from their vehicle (no, loud exhausts on motorbikes for the sake of noise are notnthe same thing at all)
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Saturday September 03 2016, @02:42AM
You didn't really read what I posted, did you? Try again.
(Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Saturday September 03 2016, @02:47AM
Roll down your windows, or people are gonna die.
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(Score: 2) by Whoever on Saturday September 03 2016, @03:11AM
They are going to die anyway: my electric vehicle is very quiet and I don't play loud music, so winding down the windows won't make a difference.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @04:45AM
Your public confession of disregard for life will be used against you in court when the charges are upgraded from vehicular manslaughter to vehicular homicide.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Saturday September 03 2016, @08:29AM
Personally, I think that should be expanded to "cartones". Why shouldn't a silent electric car sound like George Jetson's car?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @02:07AM
AS long as the fake engine noise is inside the cabin than I got no complaint.
You can listen to whatever weird-ass industrial music you want inside your own car.
(Score: 2) by scruffybeard on Saturday September 03 2016, @02:52AM
As manufacturers changed the kinds of materials used to make the cars, customers complained that the sound of the door closing made the car feel cheap. Those sounds are now engineered to produce a satisfying thud, despite even lighter materials.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @04:03AM
I do not believe you for the simple fact that people can feel the heft of a door, so a ultra-lightweight door that creates a "thud" that could only come from a heavy, solid door would totally twig people's bullshit detectors. Like dropping a ping-pong ball and getting a basketball-sound from the bounce...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @04:45AM
http://www.howtogeek.com/94336/five-fake-sounds-engineered-to-make-your-feel-better-science/ [howtogeek.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03 2016, @06:27AM
So the reality is much less than the hype. They made it sound less flimsy by making sure it doesn't rattle and that all the connection points are intelligently aligned which is not the same as a "satisfying thud."
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Saturday September 03 2016, @09:21PM
I drive a really old car, and I appreciate its engine noise. It gives me aural feedback on how much acceleration I'm getting, as well as when the automatic transmission kicks up/down.
It'd be nice if modern cars incorporated more aural feedback in the UI. Visible dashboards are lethal when you're going at 70MPH down a freeway. That split second needed to look at it may very well kill you.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Saturday September 03 2016, @09:40PM
I know where you are coming from.
I have a roadster that was built in 1957 and a Nissan Leaf: complete opposite ends of the spectrum.