IT@Home: Often Best Left to Professionals

In this position paper I argue that we should not expect everyone to do their own technical support. Rather devices should be designed so that some IT@Home tasks are as easy as possible and others require a professional (or very motivated home user). I divide IT@Home into three phases, installing a home network, adding new devices, and maintaining the home device ecosystem, and discuss the role of home users and professionals in each phase. I conclude with some research questions inspired by this perspective. Throughout the paper I draw on historical data from the introduction of other technologies into United States homes as a point of comparison to the current state of IT@Home.