To Blame or Not to Blame?

In The Design of Everyday Things, Norman explains that placing blame on individuals can be counterproductive. It may do nothing to fix the underlying problem. Instead, it may simply delay the inevitable, that being, the same or a similar problem occurring again in the future. Norman explains that the person is seldom at fault and that "[...] usually the system, the procedures, and social pressures have led to the problems, and the problems won't be fixed without addressing all of these factors" (168). On the other hand, Norman does acknowledge that "[...] sometimes it it is the person who is at fault" (210). He states how automobile accidents caused by drunk driving are the fault of the drinker. I agree with Norman's characterization of the general issue. If organizations as well as we as a society have an actual interest in solving problems, we must face the complexity that's been created. In reality, whether or not blame should be placed on the human-error, needs to be determined on a case-by-base basis because situations are often complex.

In an article on Gnc.com entitled, "How could feds be fooled by Google phishing attack?", the author criticized government officials for falling victim to a phishing attack. The author said, "It’s the cyber equivalent of telling kids 'don’t talk to strangers' or 'don’t get into a van with a strange man.' But no matter how many times the lesson is given, some people just won’t listen." Supposedly, the letter that went to users "cited security concerns and asked them to click on a fake link that looked like it was directing them to a Google page and confirm their passwords and user names". This is what Norman would call a rule-based mistake. The users who fell victim to the attack incorrectly interpreted the situation and acted in a manner that may have caused harm. While I believe those who fell victim were at fault because they clicked the link, it is understandable. Regardless of where blame is placed, criticizing is not likely to solve the problem.