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Previous: Home Depot exit (Silver Spring, MD) | Main | Next: No pedestrian sign
November 9, 2004 12:13 AM
Broken: Usability News signup
Update, as of November 11: Usability News has fixed this problem. Editor Ann Light writes, "If you think usability is important, I urge you to support the service - faults and all - by reading it, signing up to it and contributing stories... Budget is limited because it's a charity."
Original post below. -mh
- - -
Zef Estrella Fugaz writes from Wellington, New Zealand:
Signing up for a Usability News subscription, I didn't include my last name. This error is a bit rich:
"Name Incorrect - please enter your correct name"
The requirement in the instructions *is* what's broken.
Customers must have a first name and last name. They can't have a middle name, I assume, and they can't just a have a single-word name, as we can see here.
While having a one-word first name and one-word last name is very common, it's certainly not the only naming convention in the world...
Should people invent or change their name, or even use their actual name in a way they usually don't, to join something called "*Usability* news" ?
Even if the premise is wrong that everybody has a first and last name, the error message should be clearer, like "Please enter your first and last name", especially since this is a usability website. The page is also too wordy, so few people are going to read all those instructions. That's reality.
Just as a lark, I went to the usabilitynews.com website and clicked on their "all the latest news" link. Some extracts from the recent headlines and abstracts:
"Seven deadly excuses for poor design" (Maybe they include "If the user doesn't follow the instructions provided, then nothing is broken, honestly"?)
"HCI 2004 in the Extreme: Designers in Denial ..."
"HCI 2004 in the Extreme: How HCI has failed to produce Designs for All ... how HCI has failed so far to educate designers about inclusive thinking."
Looks like their web designers could maybe benefit from reading their own articles.
It's certainly broken - not usable error message. It's really funny to see this at usablenewswhatever.
uhhh...just a quick question/thought...im hoping thats not his real email address there, if it is, it should be blurred out or something. so no one can send him crap...just a thought.
If you enter an alias, does it display the message? ("Come on, we know it's really you. CORRECT name please.")
If they are really so adamant about having both the first and last names, they NEED two text boxes for the name.
Thanks for all the feedback. We've now amended the information at the name field. The mailing list we use demands a first and last name, so we are stuck with that for the time being.
Yes, the news service is about usability and user centred design. If you think usability is important, I urge you to support the service - faults and all - by reading it, signing up to it and contributing stories. It's provided free by the British HCI Group to help spread the word outside the immediate community and educate those within it about latest research. Budget is limited because it's a charity: all help behind the scenes is also gratefully received.
Wow, is that the first time one of the perpetrators has actually responded? Looks like This Is Broken is working!
Comments on this entry are closed
Previous: Home Depot exit (Silver Spring, MD) | Main | Next: No pedestrian sign
In all fairness, however, it does specify firstname lastname, if you look to the right of the text field. If the user doesn't follow the instructions provided, then nothing is broken, honestly.
Posted by: Ryan at November 9, 2004 05:32 AM