User interface

Definition and stakes

Odd De Presno,  The Online World

“ Some commercial services distribute colorful catalogues to users to support sales. Some distribute pictures of the merchandise by modem. You can buy anything from racer fitness equipment and diamonds to cars. Enter your credit card number and the Chevrolet is yours. The online mail order business is becoming increasingly global.
Level 5: The user interface —————————————- This term describes how the online service is presented to you, that is, in what form text, pictures and sound appear on your personal communications computer. Most online services offer the first three of these four levels.
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Source: Gutenberg

The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2…

“ WIMP environment n.
[acronym: `Window, Icon, Menu, Pointing device (or Pull-down menu) '] A graphical-user-interface environment such as X or the Macintosh interface, esp. as described by a hacker who prefers command-line interfaces for their superior flexibility and extensibility. However, it is also used without negative connotations; one must pay attention to voice tone and other signals to interpret correctly. See menuitis, user-obsequious.
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Source: Gutenberg

The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0…

“ An intermediary computer that does set-up and filtering for another (usually more powerful but less friendly) machine (a `back end') . 2. What you're talking to when you have a conversation with someone who is making replies without paying attention. "Look at the dancing elephants!" "Uh-huh." "Do you know what I just said?" "Sorry, you were talking to the front end." See also {fepped out}. 3. Software that provides an interface to another program `behind' it, which may not be as user-friendly. Probably from analogy with hardware front-ends (see sense 1) that interfaced with mainframes. ”
Source: Gutenberg

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