Beauty is more than skin deep: behind the pretty (inter)face of human computer interaction

The paper explores the common misconception that the I in HCI stands for "interface" rather than the more generally useful "interaction". The paper reviews the historical development of information systems in terms of their user interaction and identifies sources of tension between users and developers of information systems. It is suggested that some reorientation of software engineering education may be desirable to improve this human-computer interaction with a shift to focus more on human aspects rather than on technical issues.