Why Won't You Answer My Question?

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by drblast on Thursday April 27, 2017 @07:50PM (#14215822)

Doesn't matter what the error message is. It's very unlikely they're reading the error message at all. And yes, I've tried what you mentioned.

I did fib a bit though. There is one error we get emailed to us regularly. It's a 403:

  {"code": "Forbidden",
   "message": "You do not have access to this
    API feature because you need to be a member
    of role [ROLE]. To get access, follow this
    link to our role request page here: 
    https://linkToRoleRequestPageWithDeadSimpleHTMLForm?role=ROLE"}

THAT error reliably gets copy/pasted in an email to us with the questions "Why am I getting this error?" or "How do I get access to this?"

EDIT: I'm also talking about the JSON output of an internal API whose target audience is developers and people writing scripts. This means that we are all the problem. If the target customer were average Joe user I'd completely understand.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by logicallee on Thursday April 27, 2017 @08:29PM (#14215994)

So you need to lie in your error messages and come up with a message that will get emailed to you.

How about. "Forbidden. Please request access by following this link: http://internal/?requestguid=GUID&custn=CUSTNAME

Your request will be handled within 24 hours."

That link?

If they click the link - which they will - you have all the information they should email you (but don't.) Because you told us all you need is the GUID.

Remember: Error messages are literally an API between you and the human. If the human isn't doing what you want, you need to debug your API code until the human is doing what you want. The human is like a device! It might be flaky, but you're stuck with it. So debug your API code (the error message) until you work around the flaky humans.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by drblast on Friday April 28, 2017 @12:24AM (#14216850)

I like the way you think.

I'm going to change all error messages to:

"Please click this link and type the following GUID into the web page."

That way, based on history, I'll at least get an email with the error copied in. They'll never click the link, but if they do one or the other, I'll have the info I need.

Now if I could just stop people from submitting bug reports for 404 errors...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by logicallee on Friday April 28, 2017 @02:35AM (#14217292)

:) good luck!

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by fencepost on Thursday April 27, 2017 @09:28PM (#14216260)

You forgot the important extra part:

"If you ignore that link and instead email this to us, we'll try to get back to you within 5 business days."

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by logicallee on Thursday April 27, 2017 @09:42PM (#14216311)

I don't think there's any reason to be passive aggressive. If you give users two options they'll choose the one that's worse for you and worse for them. :)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why Won't You Answer My Question? by adekok on Thursday April 27, 2017 @09:59PM (#14216373)

My $0.02 is that people who submit such bug reports need to be fired. They're adding negative value to the company.

I get such bug reports for my open source project. People get offended when I point out that the message says what they need to do.

[ Parent | on HN ]