Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Hide and Seek at W3C

Author:Mark Kennedy
Posted:10/22/1999; 12:23:58 PM
Topic:Hide and Seek at W3C
Msg #:12269 (In response to 12265)
Prev/Next:12268 / 12270

Ahh! I stand corrected! But I still say that the address is needlessly buried, leaving the user to feel stiff-armed the whole way. Here's the path that I took through:

Click 1: The "Webmaster" link at the bottom of the error page Click 2: Option 3, "I can't access..." ('cause I couldn't)

The text says: . If you have trouble accessing information which begins with http://www.w3.org/, or with anything at the W3C website (such as links to other sites), then the W3C Webmaster is the right person to contact.

So I click: Click 3: I need more information

I'm persistant, assuming they aren't sending me down a blind ally, so I click again:

Click 4: I need more information

Nothing. Fed up, I:

Click 5: Not relevant

Ah-ha! I'm told in big bold letters:

Make sure everything is either read or discarded! This is the only way for you to contact the W3C Webmaster.

Noticing the new interface elements (trash cans and warning signs) I quickly learn that clicking into each FAQ (even ones that I *know* aren't going to answer my question) causes that FAQ to "be discarded." Thus, I start clicking in and discarding everything there. I see now that this caused me to actually miss the information I needed, though from my first click into #6 (which is mislabeled #5) gives me no indication that I might find an email address buried in there.

Once I finally click for the Umpteenth time and discard every FAQ, I get the Golden Ticket. 'Course, by this time I'm so turned off that I never did send that email to report the problem with their site.

Again, this isn't a rant against W3C at all. I've recently been immersed in usability issues at work and have caught the religon, so I think I'm overanalyzing everything with a user interface, including my car, my workstation, and even the box that my lunch came in today. Now *that's* a completely different tale to tell...

:-)




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