slightly OT: preventing user stupidity

[GCC Consulting]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com 
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf 
> Of Joe Chasan
> Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 12:09 PM
> To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> Subject: slightly OT: preventing user stupidity
> 
> meaningless rant of the day:  how far do you go to prevent 
> user stupidity?
> 
> program:  Q.  Do you wish to post now? (Y/N)
> user: Y
> 
> program: Q. Are you SURE you wish to post? (Y/N)
> user: Y
> 
> program:  Q. Are you REALLY REALLY REALLY SURE you want to 
> post now? (Y/N)
> user: Y
> 
> user:  SH*T.  i didn't want to post.  time to call the 
> consultant to drop everything and unpost the 63 places that 
> get affected by my careless posting of data that was 
> certainly not my fault that was posted in error.
> 
> 
> what to do?  obviously, the more questions you ask the more the user
> just answers by rote without thinking.  its not always appropriate or
> helpful to the end-user to have a corresponding unpost/undo routine.
> 
> i've thought of;
> a) mixing up yes/no answers so that they can't press "yes" 
> all the time
> 
> (e.g. do you want to post? / enter Y to cancel post, N otherwise...)
> 
> b) forcing type out of word "Yes" or "Agree" instead of Y or N
> 
> c) creating a random character sequence each time and ask user to
> type in to confirm post.
> 
> draconion?  what have other people tried that would not make them the
> one least likeley to be invited to christmas party?
> 
> --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

How about a client who decides to do a year end roll over procedure mid year?

Had this years ago.  Loads of fun undoing the mess but profitable.

To keep them from doing this by accident again, I pass worded the menu, the
output also.

So, they had to enter 2 passwords and the confirm twice that they wanted to do
this, after reading what was about happen.

So, at the end of the year, they called me.  THEY FORGOT THE PASSWORDS.  That
was easy, it was one of the partners child's name.

My solution to this stupidly, have the answer yes once, the but up test
explaining what is about to happen, confirm and the reconfirm.  If necessary put
a ridiculous price (high) on undoing the mess.

You might say that to undo a mistaken posting the price will be 3 or 4 time our
current billing price.

Have this in a popup, log the answer so there can be no argument that they
agreed to the terms.  And the bill them for their stupidly.

Richard Kreiss
GCC Consulting