ODD Update

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TITLE: LG ODD Auto Firmware Update

MESSAGE: Computer information analyzing.

Agree computer information analyzing.

Not agree computer information analyzing.

BUTTONS: OK

Snarky comment: Someone really needs to tell these folks that ODD is a less-than-ideal acronym in English.

What's wrong here?

1. ODD may correctly abbreviate "optical disk drive," but it's a horrible acronym - it has specific (largely negative) meaning in English. Why is an acronym even necessary? Many people wouldn't know what ODD means.
2. Odd punctuation: periods after headings and labels.
3. Odd translation of "analyzing" options.
   

Source: LG firmware update utility

Broken List

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Snarky comment: Show of hands: How many of you think that using a list box option as a heading is a good idea? Anyone?

What's wrong here? This list box is hard to use for a few reasons. The intent here is to allow users to (a) prioritize filters, (b) categorize filters, and (c) enable and disable filters. There's just too much going on here. Oh, and did I mention that it's ugly? And it doesn't really work so well. Better: (a) represent each filter's status parenthetically and (b) eliminate the ability to enable or disable each filter directly from this list.

Source: NetIdentity web mail

Show Your ID

TITLE: Error

TYPE: Critical

MESSAGE: Connection names must be legal Java identifiers

BUTTONS: OK

Snarky comment: So...what might a legal identifier look like? A little help here?


What's wrong here?

1. Like so many Java Swing applications, this program presents messages in hard-to-read message boxes that look like they belong to a poorly-designed Windows 95 app.
2. It's hard to imagine that an incorrect connection name is really a critical issue.
3. In what way is the name invalid? How can you find out?
   

Source: Oracle JDeveloper 9i

Key Access

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TITLE: Sticky Keys

MESSAGE: Do you want to turn on Sticky Keys?

Sticky Keys lets you use the SHIFT, CTRL, ALT, or Windows Logo keys by pressing one key at a time. The keyboard shortcut to turn on Sticky Keys is to press the SHIFT key 5 times.

BUTTONS: Yes/No

Snarky comment: Think you can just Y or N your way out of this dialog? Not happening.

What's wrong here? If you accidentally trigger Windows' Sticky Keys feature, you're prompted by this message. Your instinct might be to press N to make it go away. That won't work here. For some reason, Y and N are not defined as access keys for the Yes and No buttons.

Source: Microsoft Windows Sticky Keys

Number Crunching

TITLE: AOL Mobile

MESSAGE: Confirm your phone

Check your 10 digit mobile number and make sure your mobile device is on, then click 'Send'.

*Your wireless carrier may charge ...

BUTTONS: Send

Snarky comment: Feeling a little cramped in there?

What's wrong here?

1. It's not really the phone you're confirming - it's the number. Better: Confirm your mobile number.
   
2. The period after Send belongs inside the quotes.
3. There's plenty of room for all three components of the phone number to display on one line. Why is it wrapping?
   
4. *Nothing references the asterisk.
   

Source: AIM 6.1

Left with No Choice

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What do you want to do next?

Return to homepage

Snarky comment: Alex, I'll take "Return to homepage" for $100, please. It's not like I have a choice....

What's wrong here?

1. The latest revision to the message that appears after entering a reward code fixes the typos and removes the nonsense plaguing the original version, leaving just one option! It's not really an option at all then - just an unnecessary click. What's the point? This step was always unnecessary, but now this screen really doesn't need to exist.
   
2. What's with all the white-, er, red-space?
   

Source: www.mycokerewards.com

Brief Suggestions

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MESSAGE: Please provide your suggestions to enhance Online Banking

BUTTONS: Submit/Clear All

Snarky comment: Please provide your feedback, but keep it brief - it has to fit on this one little line.

What's wrong here?

1. The Name and E-mail labels are missing colons.
2. Why is Address capitalized? That's not consistent with the capitalization of other labels.
   
3. Is it possible for the preferred contact number [singular] to be the home, mobile, and office number? Wouldn't that just be mobile? These options should be mutually exclusive.
   
4. The brief amount of space they leave on this form to provide feedback is comical. It reminds me of the tiny "suggestion box" joke that was popular when I was younger.
5. I'd assert that the warning should be farther away from the labels. It currently just runs together and makes things appear unbalanced.
   
6. Who still uses a Clear or Clear All button? Is that really useful for anything?
   

Hidden Costs

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MESSAGE: 280 FOR

CASH WITHDRAWALS
THIS CHARGE IS IN ADDITION TO ANY FEES THAT MAY BE ASSESSED BY YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE THIS TRANSACTION?

BUTTONS: YES/NO

Snarky comment: If I didn't know better, I'd think they were trying to hide the ATM fee from me.

What's wrong here?

1. Terrible layout/flow.
   
2. The transaction fee is identified here - it's hidden in plain sight in the top left corder of the screen: 280. Better: This ATM charges $2.80 for Cash Withdrawals. [Note the capitalization and punctuation.]
3. The text is fully justified (stretched to hug both margins) on one line - as if that makes the cramped, block letters any easier to read!
   
4. The camera isn't out of focus in the top left corder - the screen is.

Unnoticeable

TITLE: AVG Free Edition

MESSAGE: Update was unsuccessful.

BUTTONS: OK

Snarky comment: Oh...unsuccessful. I missed that the first few times.

What's wrong here? It's too easy to misread this message and miss the severity of the issue. If this utility used a standard message box, rather than this stylized box, they could more appropriately express the urgency of the situation. Better: Use a critical message box [with the big, red X icon] and the phrase "not successful."

Source: AVG Free Edition

Locked Out

Snarky comment: Can someone tell me which way is lock and which way is unlock? C'mon.

What's wrong here? The icon and arrow used to label and provide instruction for the door locks is confusing. Which way to lock and which way to unlock? Better: Symbols of a locked and unlocked (open) padlock at either end of the switch.

Source: Pontiac Grand Prix

Hidden Access

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LINKS: PRIVACY | ACCESSIBILITY | CONTACT US | SEARCH | NARA HOME

Snarky comment: Hopefully those who need assistance with accessibility on this site have really good vision.

What's wrong here?

1. The Accessibility link on this page is way too hard to find: It's a highly-stylized, low-contrast, upper-case, hard-to-read graphic hidden amongst a bunch of other links in the footer. Better: Text links.
   
2. NARA? Does anyone who doesn't work with or for the National Archives has a clue what NARA is? Better: Archives.gov Home.
   
3. The order of these footer links is unusual - and not consistent with the footer links on the main site. Why is Home last? Better:
   
   Archives.gov Home | Search | Contact Us | Privacy | Accessibility

Source: www.archives.gov

Color Blind

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MESSAGE: Last checked: 0 minutes ago. No mails fetched. View history  Check mail now

Authentication error. Mail from this account has not been retrieved since 9:18 am.
View details

Snarky comment: Red error background...good. Blue text on red...BAD!

What's wrong here?

1. Mails? While the plural of mail is becoming more and more acceptable when regarding e-mail, it's still nonetheless clunky. Better: messages.
   
2. Blue text on red is one of the hardest color combinations to read - even for people without color vision deficiencies. It almost hurts to try.
   

Source: Gmail

Bad Weather

Snarky comment: It may always be Sunny and 73 in Cupertino, but that's not so much the case everywhere else.

What's wrong here? The Calendar icon on the iPhone's home screen shows the actual date. The Weather icon, however, is not "live" - not that big of a deal, except that the Calendar icon sets an expectation that the Weather icon doesn't meet.

Source: iPhone

That With Which We Qualify

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TYPE: Warning

MESSAGE: This smart playlist depends on one or more playlists which cannot be found.

BUTTONS: OK

Snarky comment: I blame my old Editor for my that/which obsession.

What's wrong here?

1. Most grammar and style guides would advise that "which" introduces a qualifying clause that can be eliminated without losing meaning, and it should be preceded by a comma. Better: playlists that cannot be found.
   
2. Which playlist(s) can't be found? It would be much more helpful if it told you what is missing. Without that information, this problem is harder to troubleshoot.
   

Source: iTunes 7.3