Customizable flexibility and computing and communications outsourcing

Flexibility does conflict with ease of use and the optimal balance varies widely among users. Further,
flexibility is valued even when it is not used. There are millions of VCRs with 12:00 flashing
in their clock display because their owners use them exclusively for playing prerecorded tapes, and
have not felt the need to set them up for programmed recording. However, play-only units, although
less expensive, have had disappointing sales. Being able to record at a moment’s notice has significant
value. Similarly, there is value in being able to install the next Mosaic on an existing device without
hardware modifications.

The problem is how to balance flexibility and ease of use in a way that can be customized for people
with different needs. Furthermore, the right balance is likely to vary for different people in the same
household. It seems that the only way to solve this problem is through the logical evolution of the
approach that is already followed in corporations as well as universities. Almost all such institutions
have groups of experts that provide computing and networking assistance. These groups often specify
what types of equipment and software they will support. Exceptions can be made for specialized needs,
but then users are often told that they have to be responsible for the operation of the special systems.
Most users live within the limits imposed by the support group.
The home information appliance environment is likely to be more complicated than the office environment
today. Also, many users will be less knowledgeable about electronics than the typical office
worker. Therefore it will be essential to outsource the setup and maintenance of home computing and
electronics to experts. It will not be economically feasible for them to visit in person every time something
goes wrong, or a new device is to be added to the system. Therefore all devices will have to be
designed for remote administration. (Most of it will be automated, and it will be facilitated by, and may
essentially require, broadband access to the home.) Perhaps even more important, all these new information
appliances will have to be designed for customizable flexibility, so that only the administrators
will have full control of them. Users will be given varying degrees of control, depending on their skills
and trustworthiness. The operating system will need to be rigidly isolated from the applications, and
the applications will have to be tested for compatibility by the administrators before they are installed.
This will reduce users’ freedom to modify their systems. However, it should bring in some sanity to the
potentially chaotic scene and make possible deep penetration of information appliances into society. If
Aunt Millie wants to give a new toy to your son Bill for Christmas, she may first have to check with
your system manager whether that toy will interoperate with all the other information appliances in the
house. Most users are likely to accept such restrictions to simplify their lives.