I am already an admitted geek, so let me also admit to the fact that every few years or so, whether I need it or not, I will watch what I consider to be one of the best (if not THE best) science fiction films ever made ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. As a specific ‘computer geek', who once worked for the European Space Agency, I have a long term and continuing amazement at how this 1968 film, and Arthur C Clarke's novel, predicted a great number of our 21st century, high-tech innovations. The displays on the computer screens in the movie always particularly interested me, with their bold, three-letter displays and subsequent images which proved remarkably realistic in light of latter-day developments. Additionally, which of us old-timers can resist the screen displays of The Matrix, where the ‘dripping' green symbols intimately resemble the old-time ‘green' cathode tubes attached to a 1970s mainframe?
Given this inspiring start to the display of computer screens in a movie from the 1960s, and a latter-day, memory-inducing scene or two from the turn-of-the-century efforts, why is it that TV shows seem to make some horrendous errors in their depicition of computer application displays. Perhaps because their budgets are smaller than the movies? Perhaps because the TV screens aren't as big as the moivie screens? I have three examples that I would like to rage against, but would be glad to hear of any others that might be appropriate.
First, let's take the example often used on the whole CSI series. While I like the series as a whole, and always wonder at the vivid colors on the CSI: Miami one in particular, what the heck happened when they programmed the system to search for fingerprint matches? I like to call this type of display the ‘fingerprint syndrome'. They scan in a fingerprint and the computer displays that image on the screen in enlarged format ... so far so good, but then they initiate the ‘comparison process' with a click of the mouse. I admit to not knowing the details of the scanning algorithms, but I DO know that the system most used in English speaking countries is the Henry System of Classification, which involves some fairly heavy processing needs as it compares whorls, loops and arches. Remember now, the fingerprint database being scanned is huge, containing tens of thousands of images, so why would ANY system waste REAL time to display flashing images of the ones that fail to match? Well, the CSI systems do, and usually once each episode, we are presented with this mindless and unnecessary display of flashing black-and-white imagery. Am I wrong here? Anyone out there know if this is how the REAL systems work, and if so, WHY?
Second, what's with all the waste of screen ‘real estate'? I have designed MANY computer screen layouts and have always been acutely aware that there is only so much display space on which one can cleanly and clearly present information, or accept input. However, on TV, it seems like it is perfectly OK to use up half of the screen with a useless display of the LA Police Department badge, or the Presidential Seal. People, we all know that THIS type of display does NOT happen in real life. Agreed, the screen-saver may well be such a display, but NOT the actual data manipulation screens.
Finally, whose idea was all the giant fonts that are sometimes displayed at the most inappropriate times? I know all my examples are from ‘cop shows', so forgive that since they are so blatant in their errors, but when Detective Dippo types in the suspect's name and Ronnie ‘Ratso' Denino appears on the screen in 2 inch high letters, one has to wonder which self-respecting computer programmer would ever write such a piece of code in real life? Of course, I know why they do it, so that your 'average Joe', sitting at home with a beer, doesn't have to think too much at all, but that does not excuse this assault to the professional pride of all computer programmers. Dear god, the hoi polloi must think that we are all numbnuts to take up that much screen ‘real estate' with just a damned name display. Detective Dippo clicks the mouse again, and the next thing you know, we have the ‘fingerprint syndrome' again as a series of mug-shots and criminal record details, for everyone who is NOT Ratso, are displayed in processor and time-wasting sequence. And while I am on the subject of the ‘fingerprint syndrome', why are all the non-matching names displayed in alphabetical sequence? Surely, by now, with all the benefits of our superb education system (like, whatever, let's go to the mall), everyone knows that most searches are driven by a Fibonacci search algorithm, and that does NOT produce an orderly, alphabetical sequence for display!
I realize the need for ‘artistic latitude', but can we not have the computer displays on TV look just a little more realistic?
Glyn Meek, with 40 years of experience in the technology industry, has earned his curmudgeonly outlook.
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