Two Anti-Patterns: Geek Speak & Needless Fanfare
Over on my other blog (looksgoodworkswell) I posted two examples of Anti-Patterns that relate to our book.
The first is Geek Speak. Presenting the user with jargon they will not understand (usually when something goes wrong deep in the bowels of the software). This example is from Facebook.
The second is an example of Needless Fanfare (which we write about in the book). Unnecessary animation/transitions that instead of reinforcing communication needlessly distract from the job at hand. Turbo Tax weighs in with their version of the Biggest Loser scale when they recalculate your taxes on the fly.
Read the full discussion on Geek Speak and Needless Fanfare over on my blog. 
ariel sommeria Said,
June 29, 2009 @ 5:43 am
I think you’re beig unfaire on Facebook. Ok the first part is technobabble, but the second part is totally understandable.
Bill Scott Said,
June 29, 2009 @ 9:55 am
The only sentence that makes sense is the last one. Try again later or contact customer service. The title & the first sentence are geek speak. So, ok 67% geek speak.
I guess the main point was that techno-babble had made it into the dialog box at all. Techn-babble = geek speak. So I think the point was not whether I was picking on facebook or not, but to call attention to this anti-pattern to sensitize more people to the problem. Facebook on the whole does a good job considering the wide audience they have. I have many “good” examples from them as well.
Michael Kozakewich Said,
July 1, 2009 @ 12:27 am
I do argue that the Facebook example is weak — throwing one extra word in there gives a great deal more context.
I think most people can suss out the basics of a database. It’s a base of data, right? And Facebook was trying to write to it, and failed. The three words “Database Write Failed” strung together like that is ‘bad’, but the rest of the message is acceptable.
Think of this in a medical context. You go in for some terrible cough, and the doctor tells you the following: “Just sign here, and we’ll put you to sleep. When you wake up, it’ll all be better.”
You don’t want them throwing around scientific terms, but you’d probably like to know if it’s a tumor or infection or an auto-immune disease.
(A better example would be the page any Firefox user gets when they visit an XML page with errors.)
Actually, I feel more and more like we need to build in tiny little invisible tests to determine the level of the user, so we can target their vocabulary needs. We should give them as much as they can understand, but no more.
Bill Scott Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
Michael. So users should “suss out” our geek speak?
Your point about different levels of vocabulary is too complex. Isn’t it easier to write simpler statements?
How about something simple:
Title: “Action Failed”
Message: “An error occurred while trying to complete this action. Please try again later or contact customer support.”
The user is trying to do something and it didn’t work (In this case I had clicked the “like” button). That is all they need to know. Knowing it is a database error means nothing and adds nothing to their understanding.
Your analogy of the doctor visit falls apart under closer scrutiny. If I had a database inside me and it failed then yes I want to know the details of the database error. But we are not talking about something in my body. If it is a “black box” that I use I don’t need to know the details. Remember you are trying to create an experience that spans 200 million users. Having worked at Yahoo! and now at Netflix in this space, believe me only the simplest things work.
I actually have others that are worse than this one — like the one that explains there is a “transport error with ajax” … also from facebook.
Sarong Said,
October 6, 2009 @ 11:04 pm
It was a good blog. That is all they need to know. Knowing it is a database error means nothing and adds nothing to their understanding.
Sarong
San Diego MLS Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 9:28 am
I had a database inside me and it failed then yes I want to know the details of the database error. But we are not talking about something in my body.
San Diego MLS
Simi Valley Real Estate Said,
December 24, 2009 @ 9:35 am
The three words “Database Write Failed†strung together like that is ‘bad’, but the rest of the message is acceptable.If it is a “black box†that I use I don’t need to know the details. Remember you are trying to create an experience.
Simi Valley Real Estate
Mission Hills Real Estate Said,
August 10, 2010 @ 10:49 am
I had that EXACT same experience last year right after I added my K-1’s to my taxes. It sucked big time. I had to watch my refund number fall from a very nice green 4 figure refund to a red 4 figure payment I owed. It felt like it took an eternity to finally settle in on the number. Uncool.
Mission Hills Real Estate
Leucadia Real Estate Said,
August 21, 2010 @ 9:41 am
I had to watch my refund number fall from a very nice green 4 figure refund to a red 4 figure payment I owed. It felt like it took an eternity to finally settle in on the number. Uncool.
Leucadia Real Estate
Lakeside Home Search Said,
August 28, 2010 @ 12:31 pm
I had to watch my refund number fall from a very nice green 4 figure refund to a red 4 figure payment I owed. It felt like it took an eternity to finally settle in on the number. Uncool.
Lakeside Home Search