[Lotus Notes Sucks: Example 52]
Stupid Error Messages, Part 2
Problem
I don't remember what I was doing when these appeared:
The message above suffers from EWDB Syndrome. The message below doesn't tell me which server I am not authorized to use:
The message below is from my clicking a button labeled "Freelance."
Analysis
These messages should be written in understandable English.
User Interface Guideline Violations
- Giving the user an incomplete error message. Specifically, which server? Is there some way to fix it?
- Interrupting the user's work flow with a dialog box that should never have a reason to appear.
- Not helping the user fix the problem.
- Error messages should be constructed so that they are grammatically correct and contain punctuation.
- Forcing the user to deal with stupidity.
Conclusion
Lotus Notes sucks.