The finest system message of all time being
++?????++ Out of Cheese Error. Redo From Start.
Should error messages apologize? (2013)
211–220 of 262 posts
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#212Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's perfectly fine to use "we" in a message on a web site. It's not fine on local software.
Windows may as well be considered a web service at this point!
Yep, but I guess that's exactly what the OP was complaining about. It was just badly stated.
You don't get tempted to talk in terms of "we" when you are doing software that is controlled by its user. But policing the language won't achieve anything either.
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#213Earlier quoted context omitted.
“We” is a Microsoft-ism they started with Windows 10. Yes, it is horrible, because it puts the user into a minority position against an anonymous “we” that apparently controls the system. It has a belittling and patronizing tone that emphasizes the user being powerless and non-autonomous, who instead has to be taken care of by, and is at the mercy of, the anonymous “we”.
At least they stopped putting "My" in front of everything.
Be that as it may, I would nevertheless campaign for “My Mistakes” as the log folder.
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#214Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, that one was always a bit weird because it's essentially a lie: no, you know more. You're not telling me and that's fine, but come on.
I imagine the context is something like "the associated permissions were set by a different group or department within Google and/or decided by software running elsewhere that didn't communicate its reasoning as part of the protocol it speaks to the load balancer". That is, that's all the system generating the error message knows. But yeah, it also feels like "we (Google) don't care that much about your problem here,…
often disclosing any more information is considered a security leak
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#215Earlier quoted context omitted.
“We” is a Microsoft-ism they started with Windows 10. Yes, it is horrible, because it puts the user into a minority position against an anonymous “we” that apparently controls the system. It has a belittling and patronizing tone that emphasizes the user being powerless and non-autonomous, who instead has to be taken care of by, and is at the mercy of, the anonymous “we”.
At least they stopped putting "My" in front of everything.
So, Thycrosoft now?
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#216The thing that ticks me off is when a website has a cutesy patronizing tone in its error message, and it was them that messed up. "Ooopsie! Looks like you clicked on a picture that doesn't exist!" Instead of "We fucked up and served you an invalid link"
404-like errors can well be caused by you doing Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V incorrectly, or some third person messing up a link.
I am not sure if the additional complexity that would stem from teasing those scenarios apart and serving them with different messages is worth it.
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#217Earlier quoted context omitted.
I haven't been there myself, but I've heard that this style of communication is very common in Japan.
Yeah, Japan was the first thing that came to mind. Where, "That is very difficult," really means in English, "Yeah, no."
"Sore wa muskashi...."
Often proceeded by a short sharp inhale.
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#218I don't even like "We" in UI messages. "We couldn't find that site." "We're just updating your computer." Perhaps I'm just an old fogey, but passive voice feels like the only right choice: "The site could not be found." "Your computer is being updated." The insertion of "We" feels like an imposition; the company who wrote the code reaching in and enacting their will with your equipment, using your screen as their soa…
"File not found. Apologies are made".
"The computer is being updated. Grief and sorrow."
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#219> it would be more appropriate to "apologize" for something that would be considered solely the "fault" of the application Is this in part a US vs English difference? I used to work with somebody from Texas who was confused and irritated by the english use of 'sorry' for things they weren't responsible for. In english I suppose we use it out of politeness to express some sympathy, rather than necessarily as an apolog…
Expressing sorrow is not the same thing as an apology. If you doubt that, swap them out at a funeral: "I apologize for your loss".
Would actually work in a scenario where you killed that person.
Re: Should error messages apologize? (2013)
#220Earlier quoted context omitted.
One of the worst - I don't know if it's still there - was a Gmail message something like "Hooray! Your inbox is empty." Well that's great if you worship Inbox Zero. But what about me? Maybe I'm anxiously waiting for news on a family member's illness and hospitalization. Maybe I'm waiting for my lawyer to get back to me on an important case. It's not hard to imagine any number of circumstances where I would not say "h…
Same with slack when it congratulates you for catching up on messages. Each app/service assumes you are able to take the afternoon off if you happen to have 0 widgets in your widget list.
it congratulates you for not having a pile of unknowns, not that you have nothing to do