[Lotus Notes Sucks: Example 57]
Breaking the Rules, Part 2
Problems
Previously, I documented some major problems with Rules. The fun doesn't end there. Have you actually tried to create a rule?
Look at this window for a minute and you can see some problems right away:
- Even though there is no item selected in the Perform the following actions list, the Remove button is enabled. It should be disabled.
- "When" doesn't belong in the list. "When" should probably labeled "if."
- There is no "What's This" help, no help button and no indication that help exists.
I entered what I thought was a useful rule. When I clicked OK, this message error message appeared:
This message is useless because I am not told where the problem lies.
Press F1 for help, and I find that a topic appears containing links to help for the Calendar, ToDo, etc. There is no help for Rules. "Rules" is not in the index either.
After this message appears, I find that I can't edit any of the conjuncts. I have to delete the conjunct, re-contruct it, then add it again.
Ultimately, what I like about "Notes error: Formula Error" is how carefully crafted this message is. I like the dichotomy of how this message says so much, yet so little.
Analysis
There are so many fundamental problems with Rules that one has to believe that the owners of Lotus Notes have nothing but contempt for users or there are legions of consultants that make money teaching users how to do what should be a simple task.
User Interface Guideline Violations
- Giving the user an incomplete error message.
- A program should disable commands that don't apply to the current context.
- 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.