[Lotus Notes Sucks: Example 54]
Breaking the Rules
Problems
There is a folder called Rules where I can store something called "rules." I don't know if they are useful or if they work, and I don't care. The toolbar contains a number of buttons, among them Move Up, Move Down and Disable Rule(s).
Select the first rule and try to move it up. This message appears:
I'll let you guess the message that appears if you try to move down the last rule. Notice that a rule is referred to as a document.
If you try to disable a rule that is already disabled, the following appears:
Again, thanks for telling me the obvious. Notice that a rule is not referred to as a document.
If you have the Preview pane open, go ahead and click on the various rules. Notice that the email message preview changes!
Analysis
Notice that these error messages' title bar is "Error" and nothing, as opposed to "Lotus Notes" for all other error messages.
These messages should be written in understandable English. In addition, there is never a reason to inform the user that he just canceled an action.
The real problem is that a command that does not apply to current context should be disabled. For example, if I want to save a file, the Save button should not be available until I enter a file name.
At least the error messages are constructed so that they are grammatically correct and contain correct punctuation.
User Interface Guideline Violations
- Interrupting the user's work flow with a dialog box that should never have a reason to appear.
- User interface displays inconsistent messages.
- A program should disable commands that don't apply to the current context.
- Forcing the user to deal with stupidity.
Conclusion
Lotus Notes sucks.