[thelist] User perception

M. Seyon evoltlist at delime.com
Mon Nov 15 14:11:02 CST 2004


Message from Sarah Sweeney (11/15/2004 03:41 PM)
>>Hence,  If I'm told I don't have an account my first reaction would be 
>>"ok how can I create one then?" It's possible this is a learned behaviour 
>>- it's that way on practically every other site, so people expect it to 
>>be that way on yours too.
>
>I would agree with you if this site were like "practically every other 
>site", but it is not. It is the site of a very large NGO, where only 
>authorized individual may post official content. Once in a while guests 
>are encouraged to contribute, but not on a regular basis. And not once has 
>anyone said, "I would like an account." They just try to log in and a 
>surprised when they are told they don't have an account.

Is there a link that says "Request an account", or even better "Submit 
[content]" that walks them through the steps of setting up an account, or 
whatever other process you've got. Or is there just a login page?

What login information do they attempt to use? Surely they don't submit 
blank forms?

>  Do you often try to login to sites where you do not have an account?

I have in the past. Don't ask why. Sometimes it's worked, sometimes it 
hasn't. Moot point though, I'm not an unwitting web user.


>I agree that unusable forms are very common, but I think users being too 
>lazy (or whatever you want to call it) to read instructions is probably 
>even more common. I'm one of them - I don't know how many times I've 
>installed a program and just clicked Next, Next, Next without reading each 
>screen in detail... But I would not bother to email tech support for the 
>program without taking the time to read the instructions carefully to make 
>sure the problem was not something I had done or failed to do.

No, but same point as I made earlier about myself - you're also not  likely 
to be an unwitting web user.

However, have you ever
- screamed/cursed/pounded at a phone while having to fight with automated 
answering services while wishing you could "JUST TALK TO A FREAKING PERSON"?
- gone into a store and instead of giving the store a thorough search, 
interrupted an employee to ask "do you have x?" only to be shown it right 
in front your face?
- had problems programming your vcr?

Those systems all work perfectly, for someone. In the same way that your 
app works perfectly... for someone.

regards.
-marc

--
Trinidad Carnival in all its photographic glory. Playyuhself.com
http://www.playyuhself.com/


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