[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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