• Eric J. (unregistered) in reply to Technical Thug
    Technical Thug:
    wklink:
    Enter username, or HELP> HELP GAMES "GAMES" REFERS TO MODELS, SIMULATIONS AND GAMES WHICH HAVE TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC APPLICATIONS.

    Enter username, or HELP> LIST GAMES FALKEN'S MAZE BLACK JACK GIN RUMMY HEARTS BRIDGE CHECKERS CHESS POKER FIGHTER COMBAT GUERRILLA ENGAGEMENT DESERT WARFARE AIR-TO-GROUND ACTIONS THEATREWIDE TACTICAL WARFARE THEATREWIDE BIOTOXIC AND CHEMICAL WARFARE

    GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR

    Enter username, or HELP>

    TIC TAC TOE
     O |   |
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   |   |
---+---+---
   |   |
  • (cs) in reply to Zork
    Zork:
    campkev:
    Enter username, or HELP> help Enter username, or help> HELP Enter username, or HELP> admin Enter username, or HELP> username, or HELP 'Bout time. You're kinda slow, aren't you? What do you want to do now?>
    GO NORTH. KILL TROLL WITH AXE.

    The troll steals your axe, your lamp and your paper sack (in which are 30 mini-burgers from White Castle). Now what you do you do?

  • (cs) in reply to Eric J. 
     O |   |
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  • (cs) in reply to Voodoo Coder
    Voodoo Coder:
    Anonymous:
    TopCod3r:
    It is a print server, so what kind of help did you expect? And why would I as a programmer provide online help to someone using a hacking program like telnet to reach my program? This is one of the first things you learn how to do in any security course, security by obscurity.

    But I don't write those kinds of programs anymore. Now I mostly work on internal business applications, but still my programs never need a help option on the menu. It has always been my contention that if you need to provide a help file then you have failed as a user interface designer. What little instructions that I do need to provide, I just write them in a label and put the label on the form.

    Hi TC. Since we're being absolutely serious here, I write all user documentation in ToolTips. I can then put the whole 'user manual' right there on the form, to be displayed whenever the user moves their mouse over a control. Instant user manual, you don't even need to hit F1.

    But seriously...

    Nevermind all of that...I just write Big Red Button programs. The interface consists of a single, gigantic flashing red button. Press it, and it does whatever it's supposed to do.

    Never any errors, never any questions, never any help files. Just push this big red button.

    A big red button is never all it can be: [image]

    This big red button works better.

  • what (unregistered)

    what's wrong with the yoda picture? It seems perfectly correct to me.

  • James Johnston (unregistered) in reply to jcs

    A month or two after submission, I installed a WWAN card. So I can compare behavior before and after.

    You are correct in that antennas (WAN and I believe WiFi) are in the top of the laptop. However, Lenovo isn't very concerned about dangerous RF levels (seriously now?!) as they don't shut down the wireless (WiFi, WAN, or Bluetooth) when switching to tablet mode. For example, I regularly use the WAN (Verizon) card while in tablet mode. In fact, the Bluetooth antenna is not mounted in the lid at all, but in the base of the tablet.

    You are also correct in that reception is diminished - especially for WiFi - when in tablet mode (due to the base of the tablet acting as a shield). However, Lenovo doesn't prohibit you from communicating - just the reception won't be at its best.

    What the error is referring to is rotating the screen upside down. This is something the Intel display driver does. I find it handy as it's more comfortable for me to use when the screen is rotated.

    When I switch to tablet mode, the display driver detects this and automatically rotates the screen upside down. Then this idiotic thing from Lenovo, as shown in my screen shot, will randomly decide that it needs to rotate my screen again back to the original resolution, and tell the display driver to undo what it just did. It doesn't touch any wireless devices. Note I said randomly: it may or may not do it. Sometimes I can happily use Verizon in secondary landscape mode while using it as a tablet, and sometimes it forces me back to primary landscape mode. I have noticed that the error occurs more frequently than it did before I installed the WAN card.

  • Dr. Kenneth Noisewater (unregistered) in reply to Andy Goth
    Andy Goth:
    Reminds me of a particularly odd deletion confirmation "dialog" I once encountered at work, where Delete was a cascading menu. In the submenu was only one item, "Are you sure?". Looked something like this:
    +-(popup menu)-+
| Reposition   |
| Waypoints    |
| Tactics     >|
| Radar       >|+---------------+
| Delete      >|| Are you sure? |
+--------------++---------------+
    There was no actual confirmation dialog. Selecting "Are you sure?" would delete the object. Oh, and you're sadly mistaken if you think this is a right-click menu. I think it was a control-double middle click menu.

    So did Delete fire the MLRS at the target? Seriously, this looks like some sort of Bondian secret weapon UI..

  • Dr. Kenneth Noisewater (unregistered) in reply to undrline
    undrline:
    This big red button works better.

    DON'T TOUCH IT!!

    THAT'S THE HISTORY ERASER BUTTON YOU FOOOOOL!!!

  • Walleye (unregistered) in reply to Zork
    Zork:
    campkev:
    Enter username, or HELP> help Enter username, or help> HELP Enter username, or HELP> admin Enter username, or HELP> username, or HELP 'Bout time. You're kinda slow, aren't you? What do you want to do now?>
    GO NORTH. KILL TROLL WITH AXE.

    You have been eaten by a grue.

  • Inc (unregistered)

    God of War PSP Bundle: SALE 199.99 was 9999.99

    The price of 9999.99 is correct but it should be PS3 not PSP.

    Or it might be the PSP bundle that comes with a high-priced prostitute. This is God of War after all.

  • Zork (unregistered) in reply to cconroy
    cconroy:
    Zork:
    campkev:
    Enter username, or HELP> help Enter username, or help> HELP Enter username, or HELP> admin Enter username, or HELP> username, or HELP 'Bout time. You're kinda slow, aren't you? What do you want to do now?>
    GO NORTH. KILL TROLL WITH AXE.

    The troll steals your axe, your lamp and your paper sack (in which are 30 mini-burgers from White Castle). Now what you do you do?

    USE SARCASM ON TROLL.

  • Zork (unregistered) in reply to Walleye
    Walleye:
    Zork:
    campkev:
    Enter username, or HELP> help Enter username, or help> HELP Enter username, or HELP> admin Enter username, or HELP> username, or HELP 'Bout time. You're kinda slow, aren't you? What do you want to do now?>
    GO NORTH. KILL TROLL WITH AXE.

    You have been eaten by a grue.

    CAUSE INDIGESTION.

  • Eric J. (unregistered) in reply to campkev 
     O |   |
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  • (cs) in reply to Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
    Dr. Kenneth Noisewater:
    DON'T TOUCH IT!!

    THAT'S THE HISTORY ERASER BUTTON YOU FOOOOOL!!!

    Thank you for reminding me of Ren & Stimpy. That was the Space Madness episode, correct?

  • (cs) in reply to Eric J. 
     O |   |
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    Let's play Tic-Tac-Toe with three players! (Might actually be fun if the board was made larger.)
  • (cs) in reply to Technical Thug
    Technical Thug:
    wklink:
    Enter username, or HELP> HELP GAMES "GAMES" REFERS TO MODELS, SIMULATIONS AND GAMES WHICH HAVE TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC APPLICATIONS.

    Enter username, or HELP> LIST GAMES FALKEN'S MAZE BLACK JACK GIN RUMMY HEARTS BRIDGE CHECKERS CHESS POKER FIGHTER COMBAT GUERRILLA ENGAGEMENT DESERT WARFARE AIR-TO-GROUND ACTIONS THEATREWIDE TACTICAL WARFARE THEATREWIDE BIOTOXIC AND CHEMICAL WARFARE

    GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR

    Enter username, or HELP>

    TIC TAC TOE

    PLAYERS?> 0

  • Corion (unregistered)

    What, no "Really Delete" button?

  • Bob (unregistered) in reply to CaRL
    CaRL:
    (It is so painful to think, and probably a violation of the Geneva Convention to ask someone to read...)
    We'll get all sects of Jews, Christians and Muslims to peacefully agree on the one true religion long before we can get our users to actually read our dialog boxes.

    Given that, we can either whinge about it endlessly, or we can deal with the fact, and adapt our software to meet what the users want, instead of praying that somewhere out there is a deity who has the power to achieve small miracles (like making a universe) as well as large miracles (like making people read dialog boxes).

    In any case, an "are you sure" dialog is easier to code than an 'undo' operation, but a dialog box is just trying to pass the buck, while adding 'undo' acknowledges that shit happens.

    A while ago there was a WTF posted here, where the "manager" said nothing needed to be changed because she had already told the developers not to make more mistakes in the future, and everyone laughed. An "are you sure" dialog is the way we try to tell our users to "not make mistakes in the future" and then laugh at them when they click the wrong button because they didn't carefully read the entire message.

    (It's true that some of our users have an IQ that would humiliate a particularly stupid rock, but even when we're smart and they're dumb, we can get more cash out of them by helping them feel smart while our competition is pointing and laughing at them for making a mistake. Also, being a jerk sucks, even when they deserve it.)

  • (cs) in reply to Voodoo Coder
    Voodoo Coder:
    Nevermind all of that...I just write Big Red Button programs. The interface consists of a single, gigantic flashing red button. Press it, and it does whatever it's supposed to do.

    Never any errors, never any questions, never any help files. Just push this big red button.

    [image]
  • (cs) in reply to Andy Goth 
     O |   |
---+---+---------------
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 A |   | FILE_NOT_FOUND
  • (cs) in reply to operagost
    operagost:
    The NES game Tecmo Super Bowl, when asked to reset the season, would prompt "Are you sure?" Upon answering yes, the next dialog was, "Really?"
    Did it offer you "Really really" as a response option? </shrek>
  • rnd (unregistered) in reply to wklink

    WORLD OF WARCRAFT

  • (cs)

    TRWTF is that it doesn't specifically mention the WAN "card"; it appears to be encouraging a terrorist attack upon the telecommunications infrastructure.

  • randomguy (unregistered)

    The third one isn't a WTF. It shows the Regular price as 1.49 each, which would mean the .49 would be the savings per unit.

    Not a WTF in the least.

  • Kasper (unregistered)

    Quoting the article: "wrote T.F."

  • David (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    TopCod3r:
    It is a print server, so what kind of help did you expect? And why would I as a programmer provide online help to someone using a hacking program like telnet to reach my program? This is one of the first things you learn how to do in any security course, security by obscurity.

    But I don't write those kinds of programs anymore. Now I mostly work on internal business applications, but still my programs never need a help option on the menu. It has always been my contention that if you need to provide a help file then you have failed as a user interface designer. What little instructions that I do need to provide, I just write them in a label and put the label on the form.

    Hi TC. Since we're being absolutely serious here, I write all user documentation in ToolTips. I can then put the whole 'user manual' right there on the form, to be displayed whenever the user moves their mouse over a control. Instant user manual, you don't even need to hit F1.

    But seriously...

    I go a step further: I code a little popup that displays helpful suggestions and options whenever the user performs an action, or opens a menu, moves the mouse, or blinks. It comes with a friendly little animated staple icon that dances like Mr Bean.

    Once in a while a user will try and ignore it, at which point the popup will display more helpful hints, suggest alternatives, or comment on the wisdom of their choices, and their parentage.

    I'm working towards having the icon do all the actual work, and just humor the user.

  • Nigel (unregistered) in reply to Lummox
    Lummox:
    The Circuit City one is understandable actually. I used to work at Staples and any item that's not supposed to go on sale before a certain date is marked as $9999.99 because that's the highest price the system accepts for a single item. Just a preventative step so that the item could go live in the inventory and they could just schedule a price change since technically you're not supposed to keep the item/sku out of inventory if you have it on hand. It was a definite glitch though that it recognized it as a price drop.

    I work at Staples and the system works as you describe (but I thought is was 7 9's not 6 that was the max). Interestingly our system will print out the new lower price signs with the 9's as the old price, we just throw them out.

    Speaking of signs that shouldn't have been printed, our system will also print clearance signs automatically whether the price has gone up or down (only when it is a clearance price), but will only let the staff reprint (different size, more copies, etc) only when the price goes down, even though it won't let us change the new and old prices anyway.

  • (cs) in reply to Hairy Mary
    Hairy Mary:
    Dirk Diggler:
    Anonymous:
    Hi TC. Since we're being absolutely serious here, I write all user documentation in ToolTips. I can then put the whole 'user manual' right there on the form, to be displayed whenever the user moves their mouse over a control. Instant user manual, you don't even need to hit F1.

    But seriously...

    I hate those tool tips. I often use the mouse as pointer and those freaking tool tips pop up and block whatever I'm trying to read.
    That's why you should disable the tooltip after the first time it's displayed.

    That way you get the information to the user in the RIGHT PLACE (when the cursor is on it) at the RIGHT TIME (when they are looking at it). No lousy helpLESS files, no pressing F1, no dumb tooltips every time you move your mouse. Document everything clearly, where needed, once.

    Repeatedly showing the tip each and every time after that is just insulting the intelligence of your users... "Haha you're so dumb I have to keep telling you this stuff." Respect your users and do these things properly.

    That's great until the outrageously long tooltip disappears before you've finished reading it.

  • Obi LAN Kenobi (unregistered) in reply to Tom Reingold

    A wireless WAN card would be something like a wimax card or something similar... that and WAN interfaces are usually ATM/STM/other types of big intertubes ISPs use... but not the wireless kind.

  • (cs) in reply to Lummox
    Lummox:
    The Circuit City one is understandable actually. I used to work at Staples and any item that's not supposed to go on sale before a certain date is marked as $9999.99 because that's the highest price the system accepts for a single item. Just a preventative step so that the item could go live in the inventory and they could just schedule a price change since technically you're not supposed to keep the item/sku out of inventory if you have it on hand. It was a definite glitch though that it recognized it as a price drop.

    Having a price limit that low - or even anything lower than the size of the data type in use - is TRWTF. I've seen televisions go for more than that, albeit rarely. And what if there was a period of high inflation?

  • Random832 (unregistered) in reply to Eternal Density 
     O |   |SCISSORS
---+---+---------------
 O | x |
---+---+---------------
 A |   | FILE_NOT_FOUND
  • (cs) in reply to fennec
    fennec:
    Hairy Mary:
    Dirk Diggler:
    Anonymous:
    Hi TC. Since we're being absolutely serious here, I write all user documentation in ToolTips.

    I hate those tool tips. I often use the mouse as pointer and those freaking tool tips pop up and block whatever I'm trying to read.

    That's why you should disable the tooltip after the first time it's displayed.

    Ugh! I hate it when I get a useful tooltip, but I moved my mouse at the wrong moment and it went away and I can't get it to come back! Blaargh!

    Maybe he meant to say disable the tooltip after the second time it's displayed.

  • (cs) in reply to monkeyPushButton
    monkeyPushButton:
    Although a friend of mine once sold some magic cards through our local game store. Priced them at 6 for $1 or 15 cents each. People would pre-sort them into piles of six to make sure to get the "discount". Was three months before one customer brought his cards up and asked to pay the individual price. At which point the special pricing came into play; friend said to give for free to first person who could do math.

    I love the deals that are one for .99 or two for 1.99.

  • Emhodew (unregistered)

    For the record, the antenna for your Wan card is usually under the display. And if the little plastic cover for the Wan card connection came off, (which would be under your keyboard, attached to the MB) your computer might see a short as an installed Wan card. (i.e. better open up that puppy before you short out the MB!)

  • J.R. Blood (unregistered)

    You are about to leave a comment.

    || I'm Sure. || I'm Really Sure.

    Hmmm... Might need to see an admin about this comment...

    CAPTCHA: vereor - Very Eor, I'm sure... or am I?

  • (cs) in reply to Random832
    Random832:
     O |   |SCISSORS
---+---+---------------
 O | x |[image]
---+---+---------------
 A |   | FILE_NOT_FOUND
  • A (unregistered) in reply to DaveK
  • (cs) in reply to A

    Two 'A's and one 'FILE_NOT_FOUND'? You got a Full House at Tic-Tac-Toe! Well played sir!

  • Random832 (unregistered) in reply to DaveK

    I'll see that and raise:

     O | MORNINGTON CRESCENT |SCISSORS
---+---------------------+---------------
 O |          x          |[image]
---+---------------------+---------------
 A |          A          | FILE_NOT_FOUND
  • wingcommander (unregistered) in reply to Zork
    Zork:
    cconroy:
    Zork:
    campkev:
    Enter username, or HELP> help Enter username, or help> HELP Enter username, or HELP> admin Enter username, or HELP> username, or HELP 'Bout time. You're kinda slow, aren't you? What do you want to do now?>
    GO NORTH. KILL TROLL WITH AXE.

    The troll steals your axe, your lamp and your paper sack (in which are 30 mini-burgers from White Castle). Now what you do you do?

    USE SARCASM ON TROLL.

    USE SARCASM TO TROLL

  • noryb (unregistered) in reply to TopCod3r

    I wouldn't expect any help at all, until the system told me HELP was available. The programmer could have saved himself some trouble by changing the prompt to

    Enter username, or go RTFM, n00b >

  • (cs) in reply to Random832
    Random832:
    I'll see that and raise: 
     O | MORNINGTON CRESCENT |SCISSORS
---+---------------------+---------------
 O |          x          |[image]
---+---------------------+---------------
 A |          A          | FILE_NOT_FOUND
    Sorry, I think you'll find that's an illegal move. According to Stovold's '77 edition, eastern lateral triangulations are forbidden within four moves of playing a kitten (except of course when the Waterloo and City branch closure rule is in effect, but that's hardly going to be the case during weekday off-peak hours). You'll have to retract it and move again.

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