Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user.

From	Rich <rich@example.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.misc
Subject	Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user.
Date	2016-01-15 13:08 +0000
Organization	My Linux Box
Message-ID	<n7ar0l$h74$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(1 earlier) <dfoc34Fcm8uU1@mid.individual.net> <dfocjdFt0s9U3@mid.individual.net> <news.Wed.20160113.180616.PST.2036@mariposabill.com> <alpine.LNX.2.02.1601141449520.20384@darkstar.example.org> <87k2nbiejq.fsf@bogus.nodomain.nowhere>

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Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:

> Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> writes:

> > I have most emails (and usenet messages) I've sent since 1996, simply 
> > because the software automatically saves copies of what I've sent.  A web 
> > form is backward, though I assume businesses are trying to avoid email
> > "for spam reasons".

> Forms, even before the web, were often less important for gathering and
> ordering information than they were for *excluding* information.

They were sometimes, both before the web and after, intended to serve
as reminders to the reporter of essential information required for the
receiving party to service the request.

> It is the exceptional person who can put a description of a problem,
> situation, event... into clear, concise writing; even more exceptional
> to be able to do it verbally on the fly.  Given that, people who are
> tasked with acquiring information from J. Random Person about a
> problem, situation etc. can simplify the task enormously by simply
> requiring JRP to fill out a form.

More often than not, J. Random Person does not realize/understand that
some background/context is required before jumping in to the
description of the "problem, situation, event...".  This is especially
bad when it comes to software support.  I.e., their copy of MSWord is
corrupt, when they double click on one of their documents word pops
open a dialog box with an error message.  The problem report: "my TPS
report from 2013 will not open".

Given enough of this style, the ones handling the other end develop a
'form' to help 'remind' the users of the critical info they need to
supply, such as:

Your Name: ______
Your Department: _____
Your Phone No: ______
Application: _____
Version of application: ______
OS: _______
Version of OS: _______
Is an error message shown? O-Yes O-No
If Yes: What are the contents of the error message:

Describe the steps you take that cause the issue:

etc.

If you've ever worked anywhere where you've been exposed to end user
reports of issues with software/computers, it is amazing the number of
users who's reports begin as variants of:

  "It does not work."

As if the receiver is omnipient and knows exactly what _it_ is by
telepathy.

> Fast forward to the web, a medium perfectly suited to implementing
> this strategy. The alternative would be that a human being, literate,
> qualified to deal with the subject (triage, fwd appropriately, etc.)
> has to actually *read* prose composed by JRP, make sense of it and
> take appropriate action (reply, fix something, entrain person with
> suitable authority, etc.) Bad enough if JRP's prose is lucid, onerous
> if it's typical.

Some portion of it is an attempt, right or wrong, to reduce the time
spent by the qualified, literate, human in their task of triage or
forwarding.  If nearly every report begins with "It does not work."
(and there are plural "its" which might not be working), then that
qualified human spends a huge amount of time just interacting with the
reporter to get essential info (which "it" is not working?, ok, now,
where within "it" are you when it does not work?, ok, now, what version
of "it" do you have installed?, ok, where are you located?, etc.).  The
_form_ appears to attempt to get those relatively essential facts up
front, so the qualified human can spend less time simply gathering the
same facts each time, and more time triaging/forwarding.

> The answer is: If the people don't want to talk to you, don't want to
> enter into a dialog, do without them.

Not always an option.  Esp. when one happens to be in an environment
providing end user support.

Thread

Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-14 11:42 +1100
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-13 19:30 -0600
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-01-14 01:39 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user.     wje@acm.org (Bill Evans) - 2016-01-13 18:06 -0800
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-13 21:30 -0600
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:26 +0000
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:42 +0000
              Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 10:33 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Hils <hils@saynotospam.net> - 2016-01-14 19:32 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-14 14:51 -0500
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-01-15 01:42 -0400
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-15 13:08 +0000
              Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-01-15 15:47 -0400
                Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-15 19:57 +0000
                Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-15 15:36 -0500
                Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 10:43 +0100
                Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2016-01-29 17:08 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-17 16:21 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:26 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:44 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2016-01-15 14:25 +0200
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-17 16:09 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:25 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-17 16:04 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-17 16:07 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 10:51 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-18 11:59 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-17 22:55 -0500
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-01-18 08:55 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-18 23:25 +1100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:09 +0100
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 02:36 +0000
  Re:Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2016-01-14 09:20 +0400
    Re: Re:Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 11:11 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2016-01-14 12:58 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:19 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:31 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:50 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:24 +0100
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-01-14 08:38 +0200
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-14 18:12 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-24 10:45 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-24 22:47 +1100
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-01-24 14:07 +0200
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-18 00:15 +0100
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-14 15:18 +0000
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2016-01-15 14:16 +0200
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-15 12:17 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-15 18:56 -0600
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-15 23:53 -0600
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-16 17:16 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-16 18:03 -0500
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Batchman <batchman@fastmail.fm> - 2016-01-16 11:01 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-15 23:38 -0500
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2016-01-15 23:51 -0600
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-16 10:40 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-16 17:59 -0500
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-22 19:23 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-22 10:53 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-22 17:23 +0000
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-22 13:12 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. polygonum <rmoudndgers@vrod.co.uk> - 2016-01-22 18:38 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "G. Paul Ziemba" <unp@ziemba.us> - 2016-01-24 18:14 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2016-01-24 16:31 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-24 19:52 +0100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2016-01-24 22:07 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-24 21:36 -0500
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-29 15:29 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-29 16:38 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Kara M'bola <maxupixu@in.val.it> - 2016-01-29 10:19 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-01-29 11:57 +0100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2016-01-29 11:00 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-29 13:22 -0500
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-01-29 19:49 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-29 23:30 -0500
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-01-29 22:36 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-30 12:25 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2016-01-29 23:33 -0500
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-02-03 19:02 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2016-02-03 11:45 +0100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-02-03 11:30 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-02-03 23:18 +1100
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-02-03 12:55 +0000
  Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-02 11:23 +1100
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2017-12-02 01:37 +0000
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-02 13:12 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2017-12-02 09:39 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2017-12-02 18:02 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2017-12-02 12:44 -0800
            Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2017-12-03 09:31 +0000
          Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2017-12-03 09:43 +0000
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Eric Pozharski <whynot@pozharski.name> - 2017-12-02 15:31 +0200
    Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-14 12:50 +1100
      Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2017-12-14 02:06 +0000
        Re: Let's compile a list of ways to annoy the user. Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-12-21 13:52 +1100

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