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Author Topic: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users  (Read 8909 times)

zridling

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14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« on: April 17, 2007, 10:40 AM »
[via PC World]:
So you're designing a new product and you want to make sure you infuriate as many customers as possible. Be sure to do at least a few of the following things:
________________________________________________
  • Force us to reboot our systems any time we install or uninstall your product.
  • Automatically install into the Windows system tray and launch at startup.
  • Force us to read the manual just to figure out how to turn on the damned thing.
  • Pop up little reminders for things we don't want to do.
  • Make tech-support contact information nearly impossible to find--or, better yet, don't include any.
  • Install a bunch of extra software nobody asked for or wants.
  • Automatically sign us up for e-mail newsletters and other announcements.
  • Charge us $35 per call to speak to "Bob" in Bangalore when we have problems.
  • Force us to upgrade products to get the same functionality we already had in the old version.
  • Make us enter the same information (like e-mail addresses) multiple times.
  • Require us to retype squiggly letters that are virtually impossible for humans to decipher when signing up for new accounts. (Note to Microsoft: This means you.)
  • Force us to register products and/or nag us until we capitulate.
  • Promise to remember our log-ins and password, yet still make us enter them every time.
  • Insist on updating the product when all we want to do is quit it and go home.
________________________________________________

Darwin

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2007, 11:41 AM »
Amen.

Edvard

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2007, 11:48 AM »
They forgot one:

  • Make changes to our file associations in the registry that don't revert when we un-install.

 :wallbash:

Darwin

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2007, 03:04 PM »
Make changes to our file associations in the registry that don't revert when we un-install.

Good one Edvard, this should definitely be added to the list.

paulobrabo

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2007, 03:26 PM »
  • Make changes to our file associations in the registry that don't revert when we un-install.

Note to Corel's WordPerfect Lightning: this means you.
English will never be my first language, it doesn't meter how hard I try.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2007, 03:29 PM by paulobrabo »

Deozaan

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2007, 04:45 PM »
Here's another:

  • Tell potential/new users that if you are familiar with another program you'll have no problem using theirs, and then provide poor documentation and broken tutorials in the demo version, promising tons of great documentation and tutorials (that supposedly work) to users who buy the product, which the minimum cost is $100 but ranges up to $1250 depending on the license!
« Last Edit: April 17, 2007, 04:47 PM by Deozaan »

zridling

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2007, 01:28 AM »
Here's one:
  • Allow a user to buy version 3.8, and then release 4.0 a couple of months later. Tell same user that they'll have to pay the full upgrade price if they want to move to the new version.

f0dder

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2007, 06:13 AM »
  • Make changes to our file associations in the registry that don't revert when we un-install.

And take over filetype associations that are already set... Visual Studio, this means you!

Here's mine:
  • Add a lot of copy-protection that only gets in the legitimate end-users way, while quickly being defeated by pirates.
  • Treat legitimate customers as if they were pirates.
- carpe noctem

Eóin

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2007, 06:20 AM »
Another:
  • Make changes to the shell context menu without asking the user first or without providing an easy means to undo the changes.
This is fun :)

zridling

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2007, 06:08 AM »
  • Automatically check that stupid "Install Yahoo Toolbar" option/step during installation. (Just having that crap in an installation pisses on my weed.)

zridling

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2007, 06:10 AM »
  • Require a mega-download* just to update your software from 7.8.5.0 to 7.8.5.1.  (Nero!!)

f0dder

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2007, 07:45 AM »
  • Adding tons of useless features and end up bloating a once-useful app beyond recognition, without at least providing a lean "core version" (Nero!!!)
- carpe noctem

Darwin

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Re: 14 Surefire Ways to Annoy Users
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2007, 08:35 AM »
  • Require a mega-download* just to update your software from 7.8.5.0 to 7.8.5.1.  (Nero!!)

Corel is quite fond of this as well.