NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Pioneering Bell Labs research psychologist John E. Karlin dies
Pioneering Bell Labs research psychologist John E. Karlin dies
http://j.mp/WWMol1 (New York Times)
"By all accounts a modest man despite his variegated
accomplishments (he had a doctorate in mathematical psychology,
was trained in electrical engineering and had been a professional
violinist), Mr. Karlin, who died on Jan. 28, at 94, was virtually
unknown to the general public. But his research, along with that
of his subordinates, quietly yet emphatically defined the
experience of using the telephone in the mid-20th century and
afterward, from ushering in all-digit dialing to casting the shape
of the keypad on touch-tone phones. And that keypad, in turn,
would inform the design of a spate of other everyday objects."
- - -
The BSTJ (Bell System Technical Journal -- the little blue book) would
often publish the results of this work (at least 1922 through 1983 are
now online for free open access). I distinctly remember (I used to
read BSTJ for fun -- pretty geeky, huh?) the article in there
describing the work on touch-tone keyboard design. I can still
picture the diagrams of the alternate keypad arrangements they tested.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
- Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org
- Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
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