Next-gen familiar / friendly error messages are uninformative and unhelpful (rant)

[mikeymikec]

It's one of those times when progress apparently means regression.

Once upon a time, error messages were unhelpful to the user. Things like:

ERR 501

Or the infamous "Abort, Retry, Fail" type messages from the days of MS-DOS.

It was clear that work needed to be done, especially in the days before the Internet became mainstream, an error number meant absolutely nothing to the user. However, including an error number can be helpful because the developer probably has a good idea why they gave that condition that error number (and it is shorter/easier to document), and in the days of the Internet, it means that concise search engine searches have a better chance of a successful result.

At some point, error numbers took a back seat as it was believed that the average user is likely to intimidated by an error number even with the Internet available. The result generally was a reasonably clear error message to those who choose to read it, try to understand it and/or research it.

However, in an attempt to present a friendlier face to the user (apparently), we now have dumbed-down error messages that could mean one of a million unrelated things went wrong.

MacOS X likes to throw up only "an error occurred" if app updates fail.

Windows 8.x likes to say things like "Something happened and the installation of Windows 8.1 can't be completed", or something like "everything's OK" instead of "The Windows updates installed successfully". Some people like to say "everything's OK!" even though the ship is sinking because they don't want people to panic.

I wonder if an option to disable "fucking stupid user mode" is something that software makers would consider in order to provide the interested user with useful information. Alternatively, can they take a leaf out of Alwil Software's book (the makers of AVAST) and include language packs like "English (Pirate)", so that if they insist on irritating anyone who might have been willing to listen and fix what went wrong, they can try to amuse us at the same time?

It reminds me of this:
http://xkcd.com/806/

 

[Puppies04]

Funny comic is funny

 

[TwiceOver]

AVG:

Error:
Something Bad Happened

Fucking really?

 

[CZroe]

We also seem to have a new generation of UI designers who don't realize that Cancel/OK != No/Yes and that you still need to phrase the prompt as a question regardless. Android is especially bad about this with prompt like "You cannot make calls in. Airplane mode" where it says nothing about disabling Airplane Mode when you acknowledge the statement, but that's exactly what it does.

 

[Jeff7]

...
At some point, error numbers took a back seat as it was believed that the average user is likely to intimidated by an error number even with the Internet available. The result generally was a reasonably clear error message to those who choose to read it, try to understand it and/or research it.

However, in an attempt to present a friendlier face to the user (apparently), we now have dumbed-down error messages that could mean one of a million unrelated things went wrong.

I have to do tech support for end users, and some of those problem reports start out as, "Hey I got one of your products here and it's not working."
"Ok, I'll need to know the model number and serial number."
"Look, it's your product, it's not working, you tell me what's wrong with it."

Fortunately, I don't get many of those. There are still a fair number though where it's not even our company's product.

MacOS X likes to throw up only "an error occurred" if app updates fail.

Windows 8.x likes to say things like "Something happened and the installation of Windows 8.1 can't be completed", or something like "everything's OK" instead of "The Windows updates installed successfully". Some people like to say "everything's OK!" even though the ship is sinking because they don't want people to panic.

Or the "Let Windows look for a solution to this problem" option. I don't know of any time when that has actually done anything useful. Or the Windows Repair tool in Windows 7, which allegedly won't cause the loss of any user data; that showed up one day. The Cancel button is fun, too, since its only purpose is to pop up another window that says "This operation cannot be canceled," and then it continues on its merry way.
After Windows Repair finished, the system had reverted to a state from about 2 months prior, and all e-mails received since then were gone. So that was fun.

Or the Windows 7 Search, wherein the developers got all nostalgic for the good old days of DOS and command lines, rather than the highly-usable search tool in Windows XP.

I wonder if an option to disable "fucking stupid user mode" is something that software makers would consider in order to provide the interested user with useful information. Alternatively, can they take a leaf out of Alwil Software's book (the makers of AVAST) and include language packs like "English (Pirate)", so that if they insist on irritating anyone who might have been willing to listen and fix what went wrong, they can try to amuse us at the same time?

It reminds me of this:
http://xkcd.com/806/

I'd love that just for regular usage mode.
Let's assume I have sufficient competence with computer that I can navigate some sections blindfolded. Do you have a mode to support that user level?
Nope. Instead, everything's now moving a bit beyond the goddamn Ribbon interface garbage, and going to what I assume is a Windows 8 theme. In the Windows 8 universe, the keyboards are assumed to deliver painful electrical shocks with each key press, as everything is more and more reliant on a mouse or touchscreen. What once could be done with a few quick keystrokes now requires multiple mouse clicks through cascading menus.