🚀 go-pugleaf

kurt@tc.fluke.COM (Kurt Guntheroth) writes:
...
>received.  He also claimed that the new graphical look was necessary and
>that if the people who "designed" the CACM didn't need all those graphics he
>wouldn't have a job.  CACM is not a journal, it is a magazine.  He said
>there are factions that are complaining that CACM should go back to the "old

Thanks for taking the trouble to talk to ACM. I thought of writing a letter
to the editor soon after the format was changed, to complain about the change.
My workload as well as the feeling that ACM would probably toss it away
prevented me from doing it. Encouraged by articles such as those by Kurt
(his previous one was nice and to the point too), let me add my complaints.

The editors and graphics artists should take a look at some nice books
such as those by Tufte (The Visual Display and Quantitative Information
and his new book on visualizing information). Basic human factors of
writing should help too. I bet our undergraduate classes on human factors
could design a better format!

I second Kurt's suggestion on starting articles on the right hand side
(odd-numbered page) and having multiple columns. I prefer staggered right
side (of a column) to justified columns, at least to break the monotony. 
(When CACM changed to staggered columns several years ago, the editor
(Peter Denning, if I remember right) cited some study that showed that
staggered columns are less tiring etc.)

I would also recommend using fonts with serifs. Though I can't cite the
appropriate references, I believe fonts with serifs are easier to read.
The fonts used for the new format are very hard to read. It is abominable
that ACM (with several human factors people in CHI) should take a tolerable
format and mess it up. 

A lot more white space between lines will help too.

>ways" but that's not going to happen.  He also said they had received 10
>positive comments for each negative one.  (Not the ratio we are experiencing,
>but I guess we are one of those "factions".  I suppose we could change his
>ratio though).

Can't believe that it is 10 to 1 for the new format. I wonder if it has
something to do with the reference about job security above. :-)

Has someone thought about collecting these articles (both pro and con) and
mailing to the editor of CACM? It might be worth it even after they change
the format (unless it is really nice and readable).

>All in all, I think they are totally out of control.

I agree totally.

>He was interested in learning of specific instances of font clashes and
>inappropriate typography.  I suggest that anyone else who wants to complain
>should be prepared with specific points to complain about, because they
>aren't interested in hearing that you think its ugly and its mother dresses
>it funny.

I wonder whether I should give this as an assignment for my graduate class
this summer (on effective use of interactive graphics; I talk about text
since text forms an integral part of a good interface/interactive system).

govind
T. Govindaraj 	+1 404 894 3873 (voice)		tg@chmsr.gatech.edu
		+1 404 894 2301 (fax)		tg@chmsr.uucp; 128.61.3.10

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