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So you need to lie in your error messages and come up with a message that will get emailed to you. How about. "Forbidden. Please request access by following t
by logicallee 10y ago
So you need to lie in your error messages and come up with a message that will get emailed to you.
How about. "Forbidden. Please request access by following this link:
http://internal/?requestguid=GUID&custn=CUSTNAME http://internal/?requestguid=GUID&custn=CUSTNAME
Your request will be handled within 24 hours."
That link?
If they click the link - which they will - you have all the information they should email you (but don't.) Because you told us all you need is the GUID.
Remember: Error messages are literally an API between you and the human. If the human isn't doing what you want, you need to debug your API code until the human is doing what you want. The human is like a device! It might be flaky, but you're stuck with it. So debug your API code (the error message) until you work around the flaky humans.
- fencepost 10y agoYou forgot the important extra part: "If you ignore that link and instead email this to us, we'll try to get back to you within 5 business days."
- logicallee 10y agoI don't think there's any reason to be passive aggressive. If you give users two options they'll choose the one that's worse for you and worse for them. :)
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- drblast 10y agoI like the way you think. I'm going to change all error messages to: "Please click this link and type the following GUID into the web page." That way, based on history, I'll at least get an email with the error copied in. They'll never click the link, but if they do one or the other, I'll have the info I need. Now if I could just stop people from submitting bug reports for 404 errors...
- logicallee 10y ago:) good luck!