Progress, Not Regress

Who wrote History of Progress Bar?

Daniel Engber

Why progress bars in 70s/80s?

Computers slow/unreliable; users didn't know if crashed

Bob Stahl's view?

Waiting frustration is about user feelings, not just time

Brad A. Myers research year?

1985 conference on computer-human interactions

Myers study participants?

48 students doing database searches

Myers study result?

86% liked progress bars even if inaccurate

Myers current position?

Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University

Horizontal progress bar origin?

1985 Myers study: left-to-right filling capsule

Chris Harrison contribution?

Animated effects make bars seem faster

Progress bar evolution from?

Early 20th century pen-and-paper charts

Walter Polakov beliefs?

Marxist; progress charts humane, balance work/life

Indeterminate progress bar use?

When task duration unknown

Indeterminate bar example?

Spinning wheels (YouTube loading)

Splash screen purpose?

Show program loading with logo/version

Splash screen location?

Full screen or center rectangle

Console output common in?

Command line, developer tools, install logs

Skeleton screen types?

Static-content, animated, frame-display

Skeleton screen benefit?

Builds mental model of page layout

Throbber first use?

NCSA Mosaic browser (1990s) with logo animation

Placebo button definition?

Button appears functional but does nothing

Elevator close door buttons?

Many disconnected since 1990s

Crosswalk button status?

2500/3250 NYC buttons are mechanical placebos

Thermostat placebo purpose?

Reduce employee complaints about temperature

Houston airport baggage fix?

Moved gates farther; complaints dropped

Richard Larson queuing stat?

People overestimate wait by 36%

Mirror by elevators reason?

Occupy time during post-WWII skyscraper delays

Disney wait time tactic?

Overestimates so guests pleasantly surprised

Endowed progress effect study?

Nunes & Dreze punch card experiment

Punch card Group 1?

Blank 8 squares for free wash

Punch card Group 2?

10 squares with 2 pre-punched

Survey progress conditions?

Constant, fast-to-slow, slow-to-fast

Fast-to-slow breakoff rate?

11.3%

Slow-to-fast breakoff rate?

21.8%

Constant rate breakoff rate?

14.4%

Ridge Racer loading game?

Galaxian minigame (1994)

Namco patent number?

U.S. Patent 5,718,632 (expires 2015)

Chrome Dino debut?

2014 offline easter egg

Chrome Dino creators?

Edward Jung, Sebastien Gabriel, Alan Bettes

Chrome Dino monthly plays?

270 million games

Chrome Dino disable reason?

School kids/adults played instead of working

GDP components?

Consumption, gov spending, net exports, investment

GDP per capita use?

Rough measure of living standards

Nominal GDP use?

International comparisons at current exchange rates

PPP GDP adjustment?

For cost of living differences

GDP criticisms?

Ignores externalities, unpaid work, environment

Simon Kuznets role?

Developed GDP concept 1934 US Congress report

William Petty GDP origin?

1650s tax burden calculation

Bretton Woods GDP?

1944 conference standardized GDP over GNP

GNI vs GDP?

GNI = GDP + net factor income from abroad

Irish Modified GNI reason?

Multinational tax distortion of GDP

Gini coefficient range?

0 (perfect equality) to 1 (max inequality)

Corrado Gini nationality?

Italian statistician/sociologist

Gini based on?

Lorenz curve (A/(A+B) area ratio)

OECD Gini range?

0.24-0.49 after taxes/transfers

South Africa Gini?

0.63-0.70 pre-tax (highest)

HDI components?

Life expectancy, education, GNI per capita PPP

HDI creators?

Mahbub ul-Haq, Amartya Sen influence

IHDI adjustment?

Inequality-adjusted HDI

MPI developers?

Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI)

Global MPI dimensions?

Health, education, standard of living

MPI deprivation threshold?

1/3 deprivation score = poor household

Labour productivity measure?

Output per hours worked/jobs/employment

OECD productivity inputs?

Hours worked, labour jobs, employment numbers

Happiness Index publisher?

World Happiness Report (Oxford/Gallup/UN)

Finland ranking?

Happiest country 8 years running (as of 2025)

Passport Index launcher?

Henley & Partners (2005)

Big Mac Index creator?

Pam Woodall, The Economist (1986)

Big Mac Index purpose?

Informal PPP exchange rate test

Second Law Thermodynamics?

Entropy increases in isolated systems

Carnot's theorem year?

1824 heat engine efficiency limit

Rudolf Clausius entropy?

1850s; heat can't flow cold→hot spontaneously

MLK quote origin?

"The arc of moral universe bends toward justice"

Theodore Parker influence?

19th century abolitionist inspired MLK quote

Joel Mokyr thesis?

Progress belief emerged 1500-1700 Europe

Royal Society motto?

Nullius in verba ("on no one's word")

Ancients vs Moderns battle?

17th century: modern science beat classical texts