APD Week 2 - Play & Time

In week 2's response to Advanced Play Design, I took a closer look into the concept of time, or more specifically, the time that is lost during the technical process of verifying ourselves to be human in front of machines, and the frustrating loop that occurred within.

In Matt's lecture on week 2, he mentioned the relationship between time and interactivity, which I quote:  "'It can be controlled by the 'maker' and also the 'participant'. '

The interaction between the user and the machine is a form of play. By using the 'correct' method that is agreed between both parties, human can interact with the machine to achieve their goal in a swift and convinent way. However, frustrations and confusion within the interacting process might delay the process, leading towards loops that might cost more time due to either design flaws, or complicated steps.

reCAPTCHA, a fraud detection service that prevents Autobots evasion online, has become an industry-standard tool for cyber security. It is designed to benefit the server but ended up costing users time due to its repetitive tests. In the GIFs 1-3 I have produced, I have recreated the never-ending verification process when solving reCAPTCHA by using GIFs. (The GIF themselves were already speeded up 200%)

In the last GIF, I have recreated the scene of the user's frustration when inserting a USB into the USB slot. Compared to reCAPTCHA, the USB is also a design flaw, but much more focused on the physical world. By completing these 'rituals', we would be able to access the device and services for a swift solution, but when the 'rituals' themselves become time-consuming, is it always worth the effort?

(GIF file attached at the end of this page in case GIF preview does not work on MAGI site)
(TItle picture 'This reCAPTCHA is too hard' screenshot from https://support.google.com/recaptcha/answer/6081889?hl=en on 2022-03-13)

Downloads:

Download File: 1647163112_recaptcha2-1.gif
Download File: 1647163113_usb-loop-1.gif
Download File: 1647163116_recaptcha.gif
Download File: 1647163130_recaptcha-3.gif