Speech Acts On Trial

In this document we discuss the applicability of speech act theory as a theoretical foundation for the design of information technology (IT). We pay special attention to the adaptation speech act theory has undergone when applied in the IT-field. One question we address concerns what happens when we import passive descriptive theories from other disciplines and use them as a basis in active design. The basic standpoint is that speech act theory may be useful, but only if one is aware of its shortcomings. By surveying various criticisms directed towards speech act based design along with extensions and alternative approaches we attempt to pinpoint these shortcomings. Our aim is to identify breakdowns of speech act based methods and discuss the need for further adaptation. This is done by the use of a framework, also presented in the chapter.