[comp.software-eng] User Interfaces

torkil@psivax.UUCP (Torkil Hammer) (11/23/89)

I recently got a chance to use a certain software tool.  Everything went
fine until I got an error message, which was approximately*

ERR-INO-ABOCOERR PARTGN FAIL partgen killed

One thing is that I was miffed because I must have mistyped something.
It was worse that the 'encoded' message meant that I had to get a hold
of the error code manual and go through the messages until I found
the one I got.  Then it went downhill fast.

The manual had page after page of stuff like:

ERR-INO-BPXCERR - BPX connection failed
Description: Self explanatory.  See general comment above

ERR-INO-BMNCERR - BMNC file error
Description: Self explanatory.  See general comment above

ERR-INO-ABOCOPEN - Unable to open ABO file
Description: Self explanatory.  See general comment above
...

Writing a line like  "Description: Self explanatory..." is entering a
no-win game.  At best, it is superfluous.  At worst, it is offensive.
If it is mindlessly repeated you get a user ready to explode.

Which he did the very moment he encountered an error code that was
not on the list.  Self explanatory or whatever.

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What can we learn from this?

First, gibberish like ERR-INO-ABOCOERR was good enough in 1960 when
software types were creatures of darkness inhabiting the cigarette smoke and
greasy hamburger wrap filled back room, communicating with the computer
through a keypunch and a lineprinter, and whose knowledge of English
literature was limited to "ABEND AF3D ABERR USR ERR 1040".  They even
_spoke_ that kind of language, in an all upper case voice sounding just
like the aforementioned keypunch and lineprinter.  Nobody else could
understand it, which was OK, because telephone help was not yet invented.

Today's world has seen a more genteel breed of people, who have read
Steinbeck and London and acquired a decadent taste for spelled-out
English words in mostly lower case, and who just aren't able to pronounce
ERR-INO-ABOCOERR PARTGN FAIL when consulting over the phone.

Second, you have to be more careful about the appearance of a message
telling the user that he blew something than just about anything else.
Human nature says he will retry and when he sees the same message again
it better not be an eyesore.

Third, it is not a good idea to present error codes because the user has
to look them up.  Presenting "File BMNC.org does not exist" is better
and is no more difficult than presenting gibberish.  (I didn't say "best")

Fourth, it is still not a good idea to present error codes because
eventually one gets overlooked and remains unexplained in the manual.

Fifth, the error explanation section of the manual should also give some
hints as to how to get unstuck.

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* Gibberish modified to protect the name of the product.  Original
  gibberish was neither better nor worse

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Opinions stated above are my own.

Torkil Hammer