August 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Failure Mode
Why calling something a failure mode turns an individual mistake into evidence about the system, and why that can reveal design or hide responsibility.
HAAM Notes / Topic
Human Factors
2 notes follow this idea through the HAAM archive.
July 29, 2026 · 5 min read
The Checkout Robot Accused Me Before I Started Shopping
A self-checkout machine mistook an empty shopping bag for an unscanned product because it had already decided the setup phase was over. The error reveals how automation turns ordinary human variation into exception work.