InformationWeek writer Thomas Claburn is asking Microsoft to stay away from making the TV watching experience any more interactive than it is. "TV is passive entertainment and I'm fine with that," he states.
Why is Thomas all upset about this? Seems like Microsoft would like to add hyperlink-like capabilities to video content.
Uhm, Thomas, you may want to think about this a bit more. Are you saying that when I'm watching Oprah on my computer via SlingPlayer and her show broadcasts a link to a website or references some external content, that I shouldn't be able to trivially be able to navigate that link or switch over to it in some way? Why not? You want me to pause the video, then type the link myself or Google for more info? No copy/paste allowed even? Doesn't sound like fun to me.
If anything, the better request for Thomas to be making is of Microsoft or any other TV content designer is that whatever they do in order to make TV "better", is that they should make it as non-obtrusive and "transparent" as possible. Don't get in the way of making TV watching passive. That's the sign of a good design.


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