When designing user interfaces it's easy to forget about the final user not having a clue about the internals of the software. Did I say not having a clue? What about them don't giving a sh*t? It's hardly their job to know our software as well as us, but to use it as they see fit, even in ways we didn't expect as first. But... that's maybe for another post.

Today I'd like to tell you about an extremely common problem I see in all software althought the odds grow longer with free software: the rough edges of warning errors to the users.

It's uncommon that software development team takes the time to think about the usability of their products. I know the industry very well, I've been there, I've been, like most of you, under the pressure of having a release date not too distant and still receiving requests for features. Usability is hardly the first thing we have in mind when the sh*t hits the fan when a critical bug is discovered in pre-release, gold code.

And what about open source? We all know there are lots of great coders giving away their free time, working for the community, but it's a fact this model doesn't fit designers, and when in doubt, just have a look to the art in open source games. My Z80's based MSX games had way better graphics.

Take this capture of an error window as an example:

It comes from an otherwise great software, TortoiseHG, a Windows GUI for Mercurial. I'm trying to use it, but it won't allow me, because I've somewhat managed to have something wrong in my configuration. But the interesting part is that it won't tell what's wrong, much less how to correct it. It just says: "hey, you can't work because you have X wrong, but it's a secret what part of X is wrong, and where and how to correct it".

As an advanced user, I'll try to Google the solution, to no avail, it just give links to the source code for the translations. Here, most of users will uninstall your software. Is that simple.

As a power user, I know it's a GUI for another software, so I'll refine the search and come maybe, to a solution to the problem. Sadly, not in this case, as the solution given for Mercurial is also wrong. Another point for the software.

The few still haven't uninstalled the software, and I know I would, shouldn't have known it's a great software once it's able work, would try playing Marco-Polo with it: let's try random combinations until it just works. And by works, I mean it stops giving us the finger with the error again and again. What a great way to treat your users.

P.S. : What should the error window say, you ask? "Username invalid. Please go to the configuration window and set it with a valid email".