Most common computer interface errors

[Stephen Tashi]

What's the most common error in using computer interfaces?

The most common computer interface error that I make is clicking on the wrong "x" and unintentionally closing a window. I blame this on the fact that window managers use the same style of decoration for all windows, so all the "x"'s look alike. Also, in Firefox, the icons along the top that indicate open web pages have a little "x" in them. It's easy to click on the "x" accidentally.

I don't use my cell phone as a computer. If I did, I'd probably have a long list of interface errors to report.

 

[jedishrfu]

The errors I most encounter is a spellchecker fixing something that wasn't broken the moment I send a message.

Another is getting a modal dialog box popup just as I click on a window. The window might get focus and hide the modal dialog but you can't do anything until you respond to modal dialog.

 

[Klystron]

With touchscreen interface on a computer (and many phones), I often encounter errors by touching the wrong section of the screen. There are many causes including slow or delayed information updates.

For example while reading my morning news, I intend to touch the the first story on a list of articles displayed mid-screen. In the interval before my finger touches the screen the page updates or completes loading and an unintended article appears. Not only tiresome but that mistake counts against allotted free articles for non-subscribers.

I cannot count the number of times my finger taps on 'Send' by mistake as I edit a message, particularly on smaller screens. Touchscreen interfaces on displays in moving vehicles are particularly error prone. I participated in early touch screen experiments on aircraft cockpit displays. Experiment results might frighten sensitive PF readers, though not as alarming as track-ball interface .

 

[phinds]

What pisses me off about computers is that they always do exactly what I tell them to do, not what I want them to do. Damned insensitive, literal-minded machines !

 

[jedishrfu]

Kind of reminds you of the djinn of the Arabian Nights:



One of my favorite movies.

 

[BillTre]

From Joseph Campbell:

Computers are like old testiment gods; lots of rules and no mercy.

 

[DaveE]

Excessive latency in response to human input (especially tactile inputs). Any OS (cell phone, gas pump, oven...) needs to acknowledge and que inputs quickly and with high priority for lots of reasons; not the least of which is to keep from confusing or annoying the creature with the credit card.

 

[berkeman]

So many issues, so little time to type them all up...

Here are a couple on my Droid phone...

• In the camera gallery, the little bitty buttons for "Forward Image" and "Delete Image" were placed right next to each other by some rocket scientist who did the coding and layout (sorry, no offense meant to real rocket scientists). This resulted in way too many accidental deletions when trying to email one-of-a-kind photos of test setups to myself at work, so I could paste the photos into reports I was working on... In the latest update of the Droid phone software, they now have added a 15 second pop-up after pressing the Delete button that offers an "Undo" option. Guess this has been bothering a lot of other Droid phone users too...

• There really needs to be a short "dead time" added to when the screen updates before the buttons on it can be clicked. Too many times, I click a button to go to another screen, and with the variable delay sometimes I re-click it in case it didn't recognize my first finger click. But if the screen updates a few nanoseconds before I try to re-click, whatever new button that has appeared in that new window under the old button position records a click, and that can lead to pretty random (and frustrating) behavior...

Lordy!

EDIT/UPDATE -- I see now that @Klystron already posted about the screen switcheroo problem with touchscreens...

 

[dlgoff]

What pisses me off about computers is that they always do exactly what I tell them to do, not what I want them to do. Damned insensitive, literal-minded machines !

I figured you knew about the DWIT (Do What I Think) command.

 

[phinds]

I figured you knew about the DWIT (Do What I Think) command.

Computer keeps telling me that's the dimwit command. It hates me.

 

[Tom.G]

What's the most common error in using computer interfaces?

TRYING to use (or not trigger) a touch screen on a tablet or phone!

 

[Vanadium 50]

Windows apps grab the focus way, way, way too much. I can't tell you how often I was writing in one app, hit return at the same time another app puts up a dialog box, and I discover I've just accepted some default action.

Whoever designed this should be covered in honey and staked to an anthill.

 

[BillTre]

I hardly use windows (only for job), but it does this to me all the time. Typing away at something and windows decides it is so important to pop something up with no warning that it butts in without warning and I loss the last few words I was typing.
I guess grabbing the focus is a good description of it.
I call it obnoxious, rude, and intrusive. Not a very polite OS.
That along with way too many hand movements to do simple functions (like shutting down) are my main windows gripes.

 

[phinds]

I guess grabbing the focus is a good description of it.

No, it's the EXACT description of it (in technical terms) **. Happens to me all the time as well. Probably the worse offender for me is Windows Outlook's reminder popup. I tend to put a lot of reminders in Outlook and then defer them for an hour or two and if I'm typing when that windows grabs the focus again, my typing just goes right into that window instead of where I was typing it. VERY annoying.

** Actually, the exact technical term is slightly more polite: "takes the focus"