RE: Error Messages: Text for the title bar

Subject: RE: Error Messages: Text for the title bar
From: "Diane Evans" <diane_evans -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 08:11:56 -0800


<<What sayeth the list?>>

Well, I sayeth that I thinketh the title bar should sum up the reason
for the error message box appearing in the first place. I think the
best way to do that would be to name the general category of error that
occurred, so as to provide a context for what follows -- for example
"Printer error," "Error writing to disk," etc.

I was always taught NOT to use the word "error." "Error" implies a mistake by the user; generally, the mistake has nothing to do with something the user has done.

So, in my not-so-humble-opinion, leave the title bar blank and include a real message, such as "Unable to find printer. Check the following..."



Diane Evans
Technical Writer

Washington State Coordinator, Tombstone Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/washing.html





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