Comments on: Google Checkout : How to Not Write Error Messages

By: Richard Burton

Richard Burton — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:24:21 +0000

I can’t help but wonder whether this post has anything to do with my recent support request to get Google Checkout to accept £ sterling. All I can say is that the Wufoo team were incredible at dealing with my obviously time-consuming support request. Just another reason why I’ve effectively become a Wufoo-evangelist :) Thanks guys.

By: Niyaz PK

Niyaz PK — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:59:32 +0000

Good to know that you are alive again !!! Google just does not care anymore. Atleast not as they did before.

By: Chris Campbell

Chris Campbell — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:43:44 +0000

Mark, I’m sorry, but I just don’t have the time to look at specific projects. It might be worth looking at or asking the Google Maps group over at http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-API.

Ben, we’ve pretty much been 100% dedicated to Wufoo for a while now, but we recently hired some new employees, and that has helped lighten the load. We’re not yet not sure what is going to happen to Treehouse, but we have been throwing around ideas, and we’ll make a post on Particletree if anything happens with it.

By: Ben Perry

Ben Perry — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:39:58 +0000

Good to hear Chris. I only stumbled upon your site a few months back and loved everything I read. But thought it may have died with the lack of recent posts. I look forward to reading more. Oh and a status update on Tree House Magazine would be nice.

By: Dave Q

Dave Q — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:14:40 +0000

We all better learn to write ‘error’ messages instead of horror messages :) Thanks for this reminder post, Chris!

By: Mark Prostor

Mark Prostor — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:13:00 +0000

Hiya .... I was reading over your implementation of "WorkoutTracker" and your implementation into Google Map. I am trying to do a similar thing with maps that I am currently creating showing bird migration paths from South America to the Arctic. I have some questions regarding your code. Could you possible email me back to discuss?

Cheers

Mark P.

By: Ryan Campbell

Ryan Campbell — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:01:58 +0000

I don't have much of an issue with personality in error messages as Pete pointed out. Maybe because we do that with Wufoo, but I think personality is fine as long as the user is still notified of important information. For example, if Google put:

Oops! It looks like the merchant key you used does not match your username.

I would prefer a conversational sentence like that to one that says:

(13) merchant key does not match username

By: Ian Muir

Ian Muir — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:16:06 +0000

I have this issue with Google on just about every integration with their tools.

At least it provides some errors now. The first time I was working with Google Maps, it kept changing Manchester, NH to Manchester, UK without providing any notice that it didn’t recognize the location. In the end, I doubt Google really cares, their brand is so established that our clients ask for us to use their stuff even when we say it’s a bad idea. Developers being pissed off doesn’t affect their bottom line.

By: Chris Campbell

Chris Campbell — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:37:18 +0000

Yeah, Ben, it’s been way too long and we plan on getting back on schedule now.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:04:05 +0000

In addition the ‘Ooops!’ cutesy language for ‘we fucked up’ is one of my pet peeves. I don’t know who started it but everyone is copying it and it annoys me no end - there should be more information in error messages, and less patronizing already fustrated users