Human-Computer Etiquette

desiGninG For otHer Cultures 125

Some plants have a special meaning. Maize, an American native

plant, has been one of the main staples of the Nasa diet since ancestral

times. It is never planted alone, but in conjunction with other species.

e coca plant is essential in culture: it is used in daily life, and by the

th˜e’ wala in some rituals.

Oces are not typical in the Nasa environment. As we described

earlier, the desktop analogy, commonly used in user interfaces,

does not have the same meaning when used in Nasa culture. Even

though there are Nasa people who use computers, we realized that

the desktop metaphor does not resonate strongly with their experi-

ences. Environment and technology also need to be considered in the

physica ...