3 ms·

I totally understand the argument, but there is a catch: Sometimes the error message is not there to help the person using an application, but to let them pass

by hannob 11y ago

I totally understand the argument, but there is a catch: Sometimes the error message is not there to help the person using an application, but to let them pass it on to someone from a technical support. I often try to educate users: If you come to me with a problem and there is an error message please give me the error message. Make a screenshot, make a picture and mail it to me, write it down. Unfortunately I still have a hard time convincing people that this makes sense.

douche 11y ago
Yup, all too often it goes like this when you're trying to troubleshoot something: 1.) User does something that causes error. 2.) Error message with instructions on what to do to fix error pops up. 3.) User clicks dismiss button on error message ten milliseconds after the message pops up. 4.) User ignores your request to do it again and FOR CRISSAKES, DON'T DISMISS THE MESSAGE. Instead starts randomly twiddling things and performing voodoo rituals. 5.) Try to get keyboard and mouse control from user through screensharing software. Software doesn't work and/or crashes. 6.) Cry and head-desk.
- zodPod 11y ago
  You missed step 7) Finally get access to user's computer, watch them perform action then immediately dismiss error message box. This is the most frustrating thing to me. I specifically told you what was wrong you just had to read it. THEN when you tell me that "It's broken" you are proving to me that you won't even TRY!
  - vacri 11y ago
    My best version of this was supporting a customer who had decided that the data source files were corrupt, in a part of the application workflow that doesn't access the files (an automatic 'preanalysis'). - Okay, so what does the error say > "The data files are corrupt". - No, that doesn't sound right, can you please read it out word by word? > "The. Data. Files. Are. Corrupt.". - I haven't seen that error before, can you please read it out letter by letter so I can ask the programmers > "a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c a-n-a-l-y-s-i-s h-a-s n-o-t...". - Right, go here and tick the box that says 'enable automatic analysis'. Then it will work. Yes, specifically asking to read word-by-word didn't work, I had to get down to letter-by-letter.
    - tropo 11y ago
      The supposed 95% literacy is a lie. Most people can't really read. They can usually identify individual words, but they can't do this fast enough and reliably enough to actually understand non-trivial sentences.
      - zodPod 11y ago
        That's insanely sad. Kind of disgusting...
    - zodPod 11y ago
      Wow that's frustrating! Someone I know actually did this to me a couple weeks back. They were all mad logging in to Gmail because they "forgot their password" when really it was just the screen that is asking you to confirm your recovery information. I said "No, LOOK at the screen. READ what it says" and they were like "Yeah, I forgot my f*ing password!" I said "NO. REEEAAD." and they got mad at me until I pulled their hand from the mouse that was about to click the x button and read it for them. They were like "oh.." I was like "yeah.. REEEAD..."

by hannob 11y ago

douche 11y ago

Yup, all too often it goes like this when you're trying to troubleshoot something: 1.) User does something that causes error. 2.) Error message with instructions on what to do to fix error pops up. 3.) User clicks dismiss button on error message ten milliseconds after the message pops up. 4.) User ignores your request to do it again and FOR CRISSAKES, DON'T DISMISS THE MESSAGE. Instead starts randomly twiddling things and performing voodoo rituals. 5.) Try to get keyboard and mouse control from user through screensharing software. Software doesn't work and/or crashes. 6.) Cry and head-desk.

zodPod 11y ago
You missed step 7) Finally get access to user's computer, watch them perform action then immediately dismiss error message box. This is the most frustrating thing to me. I specifically told you what was wrong you just had to read it. THEN when you tell me that "It's broken" you are proving to me that you won't even TRY!
- vacri 11y ago
  My best version of this was supporting a customer who had decided that the data source files were corrupt, in a part of the application workflow that doesn't access the files (an automatic 'preanalysis'). - Okay, so what does the error say > "The data files are corrupt". - No, that doesn't sound right, can you please read it out word by word? > "The. Data. Files. Are. Corrupt.". - I haven't seen that error before, can you please read it out letter by letter so I can ask the programmers > "a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c a-n-a-l-y-s-i-s h-a-s n-o-t...". - Right, go here and tick the box that says 'enable automatic analysis'. Then it will work. Yes, specifically asking to read word-by-word didn't work, I had to get down to letter-by-letter.
  - tropo 11y ago
    The supposed 95% literacy is a lie. Most people can't really read. They can usually identify individual words, but they can't do this fast enough and reliably enough to actually understand non-trivial sentences.
    - zodPod 11y ago
      That's insanely sad. Kind of disgusting...
  - zodPod 11y ago
    Wow that's frustrating! Someone I know actually did this to me a couple weeks back. They were all mad logging in to Gmail because they "forgot their password" when really it was just the screen that is asking you to confirm your recovery information. I said "No, LOOK at the screen. READ what it says" and they were like "Yeah, I forgot my f*ing password!" I said "NO. REEEAAD." and they got mad at me until I pulled their hand from the mouse that was about to click the x button and read it for them. They were like "oh.." I was like "yeah.. REEEAD..."