Constrained languages need not constrain person/computer interaction

ABSTRACT

When using a computer system, one source of difficulty for many people is the method of interacting with the software in order to exchange and manipulate information. Some researchers argue that computers will not be easy to use until software services can respond to natural language user input. This argument is based on an assumption that any constraints placed on the manner of expression will limit ease of use or impede user proficiency. However, results of recent experiments suggest that constraints can be placed on the format of user input without limiting ease of user expression. When users know the type of information to enter, their flexible language processing skills can adapt to constrained input formats without degrading performance.

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