This week’s reading introduced me to a new concept, Human-Computer Interaction(HCI). Thanks to H. Rex Hartson’s definition I better understand that Human Computer Interaction is more center focused on the communication through engineering and science of the computer systems. Whereas digital rhetoric has a focus on how others use the digital tools to communicate amongst digital spaces. However between the two they share the connection of importance of the user and usability.
Within both fields of study, HCI and digital rhetoric share the common interest of commitment to usability. These relationships between the two can be beneficial on both ends when put to work together. The field of study known as Critical Code Studies (CCS) and software studies use rhetorical studies to analyze code. The focus of this study is to examine the relationships between softwares. As well as exploring the understanding of how humans make meaning with computers. For example, as mentioned video games or gaming consoles are a platform study that with digital rhetoric influence creative decision making. Whereas software studies, consists analyzing and understanding the background controls like techniques of control, memory, representation, and simulation.
The focus of CCS is to examine the actual code used behind these softwares. To understand and read and analyze it as text rather than code. It communicates more than codes used to function but also cultural and historical interactions that shape our society as well as us. We look at code as a technical tool however when we look at it from a human perspective we can see it as meaningful text.
HCI and CCS are about how as humans we engage with computers and its technology. It’s also about what we chose to create and interact with on these platforms. We choose how to function throughout these digital platforms everyday and begin to treat code as a text.
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