Reading Ideas

As I mentioned my apartment lies in the 8th story of an 8-story highrise (or whatever you want to call it). You might be able to imagine how happy I am about the pair of elevators that are waiting day and night for a chance to transport me along the height of the building.

Since for some reason unknown to me, social etiquette forbids it to talk to other passengers inside an elevator cabin, you have a lot of time to think while you're inside. And since the topic is somewhat proximate in that kind of environment, I've been thinking a lot about elevator buttons lately.

So now you are probably saying: What the heck is so interesting about elevator buttons that their nature could keep a guy's whole brain busy during many elevator rides? Trust me when I tell you: More than it seems.

Why more is more

You have probably (albeit subconsciously) noticed that there are two kinds of elevators around: Those with one button to call the cabin, and those with two buttons to call the cabin.

Those models featuring two buttons usually have one of them labelled with an arrow pointing upwards (you should press that button if you would like to go up) and one with an arrow pointing downwards (analogous, you should press that button if you would like to go down).

While having a second button might seem superfluous for the unreflecting observer, it is actually evidence of very clever design that will ultimately save a lot of passenger time.

Let me set an example for the house I am living in. Our elevator only features one button:

• I'm returning home, and want to go from the ground floor up to the 8th story. I'm calling the elevator, enter it and press (8) for the 8th story.

• Meanwhile, Martha, living on the third floor, wants to leave the house. So she is calling the elevator with the intent to go to the ground floor.

• When the elevator (with me inside) reaches the third floor, it faithfully stops and lets Martha in. She enters and presses (E) for the ground floor.

Oh dear! Because the elevator was built to process requests in a straight order, Martha has to ride all the way with me up to the 8th floor, until the elevator is starting to descend to the ground floor again. She probably would have been faster if she had taken the staircase!

If Martha would have been able to press on a "I want to go down button" instead of the generic "get me the cabin" button, the elevator could have gone past her floor (and in our house, the second, free elevator would have sprung into action to pick her up).

It should be clear now, that two button elevators are definitely superior to their single button cousins, and the elevator in my house would damn be better off with an additional button.

This is a proven fact. Isn't it?

Why less can be more, too

Actually, the logic used above includes a slight oversight. I now claim that the elevator in my house has exactly the number of buttons it needs to do its job: One.

You see, the house I'm living in contains nothing but apartments for students. It is not some sort of department store, where one would like to go from the menswear floor to the music floor, from the music floor to the food floor, and from the food floor back to the ground floor in order to leave the building.

When I'm on the ground floor, pressing the button, it's pretty clear where I want to go: Up to my apartment. Analogous, when I'm on the 8th story, pushing the button like a madman, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where I'm heading to: Down to the ground floor, in order to get on my bike and make it to the 08:30 lecture in time.

As you can see, as long as Martha is not intending to visit me on the 8th story on a regular basis (she isn't), one button is completely sufficient.

Thanks for reading if you actually made it that far. You have no idea how much stuff like this is brightening up my day.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

This post was edited by Jaz on Jun 11, 2003.

This reminds me of sort of a joke I heard on MTV. It's actually one of Kurt Cobain: It's been told Cobain came to Germany when the movie "Schindler's List" was very actually and shown in all the cinemas around. Kurt was to meet someone in some hotel lobby and then drive up with him to a room. His statement (pardon me if it's not in correct words): It's only 20 minutes that I'm in the city and I'm already in Schindler's Lift!:D

Sorry, it's got nothing to do with the topic. BTW: Thank you for the explanation with the two buttons, I always wondered about their usability because no matter which button I press, the elevator is coming anyway. I never knew there's a difference and always pressed both buttons.
So how does it work when I am in the middle of a building pressing down/up? Which criteria are deciding when the elevator stops at my floor?

Well, these are the little but somehow important trivialities that are in our minds day per day. :)

"Sie wollen nichts anderes. Sie wollen kämpfen! Sie sind Soldaten! Fucking Wahnsinnige!" - Noel G.

Incredible, someone actually read the whole thing :-D

So how does it work when I am in the middle of a building pressing down/up? Which criteria are deciding when the elevator stops at my floor?

It doesn't matter on which floor you are residing. The up/down only refers to the direction. Pressing "down" will only get you elevators going down. "Up" will only cause elevators to hold at your floor, that are going up anyway.

Well, these are the little but somehow important trivialities that are in our minds day per day. :)

I believe this little triviality teaches us a lot about user interface design. Everyone gets confused by two buttons. Few understand how they work (although many people know that they should press up if they want to go up).

I haven't known for more than a decade what the second button was there for. It seems just so confusing and superfluous. In our house they figured, they could get rid of the second button if they made the elevator brain just a little smarter. Less confusion, same effect. That's the way to go.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

Incredible, someone actually read the whole thing :-D

I did too! How many years of riding the elavator did it take for you to figure this button thing??? ;)

Nice one Jaz.

Which world is Plato in?

How many years of riding the elavator did it take for you to figure this button thing?

Three and a half months to be exact.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

I haven't known for more than a decade what the second button was there for. It seems just so confusing and superfluous.

That why there is an up/down arrow on the elevator button.

The buttons that do not have such buttons use used in cases where people are intellegent enough to remember that the top button calls an elevator going up, while the bottom botton calls an elevator going down.

In addition, when the elevator reaches the floor, there is an arrow next to the door of the elevator that lights up and tells the nearby people which direction it is going. The arrow which lights up is directly dependant on which button is pressed.

And finally, the buttons de-light themselves when the appropriate elevator has arrived.

But there's more to it. After working one year in a hospital (community service) going up and down all day you realize one thing:

Mankind isn't ready for the second button.

We had two elevators with one common set of two buttons.

I never knew there's a difference and always pressed both buttons.

So it was you! ;-) By doing that you actually call two elevators (or one twice). You enter the first, and a bit later there is a significant chance of me staring angrily out of the other, through doors that seemingly opened for no reason whatsoever. Being in a hurry, too, of course ;-)

And it happens all the time!

I was also going to write how this was an instance of the prisoners' dilemma, before I realized the "double-presser" does not really profit from his action. As long as he isn't the janitor with the magic override-everything keys on his way up to lunch, that is.

'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman. 'Get stuffed!' the Harlequin replied, sneering.

Mankind isn't ready for the second button.

Judging from my (former) self, I would have to agree.

Now since mankind is unlikely to grow wiser during our lifespan, could there be anything we could do to make the second button ready for mankind's stupid? Labelling the buttons for instance. Something like

Press this button to go up. And only then. If you press this button even though you want to go down, the Elevator God will come and take your first born from you.

Another idea would be that if you called an elevator pressing the Down button on the fifth level, all buttons 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. inside the elevator would all be "grayed out" and inactive.

Imagine the revolt!

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

Or how about one elevator that goes up and one that goes down, and neither goes the other way.

Wouldn't that be a bit simpler than programming certain buttons to become inactive?

Thbbbbt

Or how about one elevator that goes up and one that goes down, and neither goes the other way.

Considering the cost of installing an elevator, this would seem like a waste of capacity, don't you think? With both elevators going empty half of the time (when they move back up, resp. down) you would be worse off than having one elevator plus some idiots not getting the wisdom behind the second button.

Also there will be an increased demand for down at 8 AM and an increased demand for up at 7 PM. The second elevator would virtually sit and idle during these times of the day.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

...For those of you who may be fans of Douglas Adams (Author of "The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy") he has already shown the future in one of his sequels...realising that Mankind is too stupid to operate lifts (but ingenious enough to create the lift in the first place!) the lifts in the future will actually benefit from ESP whereby they'll telepathically 'know' when someone is going to need a lift and automatically arrive at the right floor BEFORE anyone needs to press a button!!! Clearly you'll probably need more than just one lift in a building for this to work...but hey, 100 years ago mankind KNEW that we'd never be able to fly - so who know's what the future of the humble lift will look like 100 years from now!!!: -)

he has already shown the future in one of his sequels

However, we all know what happened to the elevator in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm not sure if we would want that.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

Or how about one elevator that goes up and one that goes down, and neither goes the other way.

Yeah, but on the other hand, once the upgoing elevator has reached the top floor you'd have to install a new one ;-)

I vote for a paternoster. Not only would this allow for the essentially fool-proof zero-button-design, that way riding the elevator would never be so boring you'd need to meditate over the merits of different elevator-button-configurations :-)

'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman. 'Get stuffed!' the Harlequin replied, sneering.

I vote for a paternoster.

I only saw one of these beasts in my life. I think it was installed in a warehouse, I was still a child and, if I recall correctly, it almost killed me.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

What exactly is a paternoster?

The way Jaz speaks of it, sounds like it might be named for the need to pray while you use one. . .

Thbbbbt

What exactly is a paternoster?

I hope I'm not telling you any bullshit now because, as I said, I only saw one of these beasts once in my life. A paternoster is a chain of elevator-like cabins going up on one side, and (because they are all connected in a ring) going down on the other side. So you can have two paternoster gates on every story, with cabins going continuously up (down) in each of them. You never have to wait for a cabin.

The way Jaz speaks of it, sounds like it might be named for the need to pray while you use one. . .

The fun is, I think they don't stop to wait for a passenger to enter. You just have to be quick or die.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

Exactly, jaz. You'll also be delighted that they are forbidden by now, at least in Germany.

This system of a rotating string of cabins was originally used in mining. The little baskets hanging from a rotating chain reminded the miners of a rosary. Hence "pater noster": "Lord's Prayer".
I still like Magnifico's explanation better...

I always wondered what happens if you miss the last floor... ;-)

'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman. 'Get stuffed!' the Harlequin replied, sneering.

I always wondered what happens if you miss the last floor... ;-)

Natural selection.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

Another nice thing I've seen is a bunch of keys (or small numeric keypad) on each floor, where you choose the floor before the elevator arrives. That way, it's the elevators decision whether it should stop or not.

Of course this idea will be ruined by technology-angsty elevator users who are either unable or unwilling to grasp the concept, and just press any key within reach. Or think of the people who don't know where they want to go until they're inside the elevator, and do the same.

Maybe a small IQ test would help. If you pass, a door slides open and you get access to the elevator keys - if you fail, an illuminated arrow points you the way to the staircase.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Indeed Indeed Indeed.

It does make you think about the seemingly irrelevant things in life.

I have been a double-button pusher for about two years now and would like some help. I have been to groups to talk about my problem (D.B.P.A) but they seem to just highlight and not solve my problem.

Could we please invent a third button for sufferers like myself. The third button would have a label next to it stating;

""If you don't understand the two button system correctly and usually push both, please use this third button"

This third button would then act like the a one-button-elevator-system. Allowing the person simple "like the old days" service. And then there would be the two-button-system as an advantage to the higher-minded people.

You still awake??

Good thinking Jazzzzz

But now on to the important stuff, Why are you deemed strange to an attractive woman if you start a conversation with her in an elevator. What is this saying about the society we live in????

Help me .

"If it wasn't for monkey's I probably would of packed it in by now"

If it weren't for monkey's... I would of packed it in years ago

I have been a double-button pusher for about two years now and would like some help.

Argh, so it's been YOU all these years...

Could we please invent a third button for sufferers like myself. The third button would have a label next to it stating;

"If you don't understand the two button system correctly and usually push both, please use this third button"

I think that's an absolutely wonderful idea.

But now on to the important stuff, Why are you deemed strange to an attractive woman if you start a conversation with her in an elevator. What is this saying about the society we live in????

The question is what it says about attractive women.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

So maybe it's the attractive women that have it all wrong and that my slight craving for smelling the back of people's necks is completely normal. All this time I thought it was I who was the "odd." How wrong I was. Is there a philosophy about attractive women???

My idea is that the more symmetrical there face is the better. Look at a beautiful woman and her face is almost perfectly symmetrical from an imaginery line down the middle of her face.
Its so true. Ugly people have the line horizontally across there face.

I won't waste my seed on hideous trolls.

If it weren't for monkey's... I would of packed it in years ago

My idea is that the more symmetrical there face is the better.

Actually this is true. Take the point right between the eyes, the tip of the nose, the middle of the mouth and chin, and so on, and connect these points. Check the line you get - the closer it is to a straight line, the more attractive the face looks.
Or that's what the scientists say.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Or that's what the scientists say.

More precisly, that's what Fibonacchi discovered around the year 1200. :)

Check out these links for more information on this (very interesting, by the way) topic:
The Fibonacci Series
The Human Face
Fibonacci Numbers and Nature

That makes me a sa-a-a-a-a-ad Panda...