Verbal location cannot replace a visible pointer
Aliases: deictic reference · shared cursor · remote pointing
What it is
Remote pointing uses a visible cursor, annotation, or transient highlight to attach “here” or “that one above” to a location in a shared object. Verbal location cannot replace it because scroll, zoom, language, and layout differ across participants.
Why it happens
Deictic speech relies on a common reference. In person, finger and gaze supply continuous spatial cues; remotely, “second item on the left” requires assuming the same view, scale, and hierarchy. A visible pointer makes this perception rather than inference. Delayed, anonymous, or numerous pointers become noise.
Studying it
- Paradigms: compare verbal instruction, single pointer, identified pointer, and persistent annotation on location tasks.
- Variables: pointing form, view difference, location time, error, clarification, and occlusion.
- Methodological caution: speed alone misses whether people understand an object relation rather than merely find a pixel.
Where it stops holding
Persistent pointers can reveal attention or cover dense sensitive content. Async discussion needs durable traceable anchors, not only a transient cursor.
Applying it
- Offer identified transient pointers and pinnable annotations with filtering or hiding.
- Pair pointer with object name, section, or citation for view and access differences.
- Replace bare “upper left” language with anchors.
- Verification: test target location across zoom and resolution, logging clarification and error.
Related
- Same group: V5.06.1 Screen sharing establishes a common reference, but one person controls the view · V5.06.2 Viewers cannot inspect what the presenter has not shown · V5.06.4 Full-screen sharing exposes notifications and other windows · V5.06.5 Resolution and zoom differences make shared text unreadable
- Nearby: V2.04 Common reference · V2.05 Shared cursors and selections
- Search terms:
remote pointing·deictic reference·shared cursor