1. Software users are always correct.

[NuclearNed]

I'm trying to reproduce a software problem a user reported today. What the user reported is well nigh impossible. But that doesn't matter because according to the user it happened; their word is holy and unblemished. It seems like their attitude is always "though the gods and rules of possibility are against me, it happened just the same." Never mind that some of our users can't correctly identify the keyboard.

So I'm going to blow the next few hours chasing a phantom.

GAAAHHHHH....

 

[eLiTeGoodGuy]

have the user show you the problem.

 

[PunDogg]

have the user show you the problem, or jus tell them to contact you if it happens again

Dogg

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: eLiTeGoodGuy
have the user show you the problem.

Nice idea, but so far nobody has been able to reproduce it. This code has survived the test of time, so it would be really unusual for it to malfunction now.

 

[NuclearNed]

UPDATE: the user just came by my office. The problem he reported in writing is not the problem he just communicated to me verbally.

 

[Bootprint]

Just remember "Make it idiot-proof, and someone will make a better idiot"

 

[rh71]

I believe it's "chasing ghosts".

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: rh71
I believe it's "chasing ghosts".

But "phantom" sounds so much more sophisticated, don't you agree?

 

[Chadder007]

Have them reboot.

 

[nakedfrog]

I like "gremlins."

 

[torpid]

Ah... actually I think the problem is on your end, not his end. You are expecting the user to be able to describe in detail the error they received and how they got it. This is rarely going to happen. Sometimes they'll even tell you something completely different than the thing they actually did.

Why is this your problem? Because your program relies on a highly error-prone system for reporting errors. It should never be the user's duty to report the exact nature of an error. All they should have to do is call you and tell you that they got an error, approximately what time, and then you should peruse any trace logs or similar.

 

[ggavinmoss]

Users are notorious for this. Most don't have the appropriate vocabulary to describe what the problem is, nor are they detailed enough in their description to be helpful. Oh well, back to chasing phantoms...

-geoff