Users Evaluation
The users of the TURBOMail system should be identical to those who would
ordinarily use the services of the post office. This is a large and diverse
body of potential users of this system; in order to justify design decisions
for the initial phases of the project, we attempt to bound some of the
characteristics of the end users of this system:
- Age: Although letter-writing is possible for very young children (under the
age of six or seven), we exclude them from consideration, since they will
tend to be shorter than necessary to manipulate an interface set at a
comfortable level for a normal adult. We place no upper bound on the age of
the end users of this system, although geriatric adults may not be physically
capable of using (or getting to) the system.
- Education: We expect this system to be used by persons of varying
educational backgrounds. Users must at least be educated to the level where
they can interpret and follow simple directions of an everyday nature.
- Language: Ideally, the system should be readily adaptable to users of
varying language backgrounds. For purposes of demonstration, however, we
assume the input and output of the system to be given in the native language
of the user, which shall be assumed to be English. Again, the user must be
sufficiently fluent in the language to interpret and follow simple directions
of an everyday nature.
- Physical Ability: Most handicapped users should be able to use the system.
In this category we include wheelchair-confined, blind, and deaf persons. Persons
incapable of simple coordination (button location and pushing) will be unable
to use this system.
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