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Author Topic: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu  (Read 8,231 times)

mouser

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2015, 06:37 AM »
And here's a nice wikipedia page on the Start Menu which has some history:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start_menu

app103

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2015, 09:58 AM »
So, this is the guy responsible for the taskbar?



MilesAhead

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2015, 01:37 PM »
So chimps dig Windows start menu.

Hmm, B.F. Skinner references never peter out completely.  There may just be a few years between them.  :)

A friend of mine studied Skinner as his area of expertise.  The last time I saw him he showed me a hand written letter from Skinner accepting him as an intern.  My friend is probably retired by now.  Time whips by when I am not paying attention.


lanux128

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2015, 01:40 PM »
Skinner always reminds of this guy, lol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Skinner

Deozaan

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2015, 06:12 PM »
So, I read the article, and I still don't see what Chimpanzees have to do with the Start Menu.

Chimpanzees had nothing to do with the Start Menu. A guy who used to work with chimpanzees used his knowledge and experience in teaching things simply, one step at a time, to design what became the Start Menu.

MilesAhead

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2015, 06:15 PM »
Skinner always reminds of this guy, lol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Skinner

Yeah, when I watched X-Files I thought that was a curious name.  btw I loved the episode where Pusher got the secretary to kick Skinner's ass.  Hilarious.

MilesAhead

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Re: How chimpanzees helped inspire the Windows start menu
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2015, 06:37 PM »
It does kind of crack me up all the emphasis on a cascading menu.  Some real research that spawned lots of useful and still used innovations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Athena

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