do what the user expects
Posted by Carlos Pero | Filed under expectation
This post from Jeff Atwood is getting some attention today, as he talks about how users just don't read what's in front of them. The issue is someone who posted a question to one of the Stack Exchange-powered sites but who didn't take the time to nicely format it for reading.
It may be true that users don't carefully read every word on the page, but at the same time you should take steps to make sure they have a pleasant experience, especially if it is their first time. I'm sure the user who posted the question is pleased, but Jeff is riled up because the new user didn't take the time to learn how to properly use the site.
Here's the problem: there are WAAAAY too many sites now to try to learn how to use each one. Read that again. The burden just cannot be on the user to properly use the site. Those are the old days of traditional software, when the user has spent money on a program so he/she has a vested interest in learning how to use it properly. Conversely, they have no loyalty to your site the first time they get there...don't force them to learn something new.
So yes, to some extent, the site needs to hold their hand and save them from themselves. (It's marvelous how Web technology enables you to customize almost down to the individual level now.)
The funny thing is, in the eyes of the new user, nothing was wrong here. They happily posted their question and probably got a swift response due to the great community on the site. It's the site programmer that is frustrated that the user isn't obeying. That's just a bad expectation to have.