Seth Godin asks this question, providing an example of how dumb calendar applications can be:

If I try to schedule an appointment for 2 pm, it requires me to not only hit the 2, but also select pm. I have never once had a meeting at 2 am. Shouldn't it know that?

Many of the readers of IT'S BROKEN are engineers, computer science students and business analysts--people who are or will be soon introducing new software to the world. If you are one of them, and haven't read The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity yet, please put it in your to-read list immediately. This book will help you make smart software that focus on the users' needs, rather than powerful, feature-rich, complex software that is so frustrating to use that will make your users happy to defect as soon as a better product comes along.

1) Not the right time to ask

I've already complained about sites that ask users to sign up before they can do anything, and mentioned how gradual engagement is a much better approach to attract readers and customers. Now I'm noticing more and more blogs displaying the following invitation at the top of their pages:

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

If I'm a new visitor, don't you think I will want first to take a look around to see if I like what you have to offer, before subscribing? If the invitation was placed on a sidebar or at the bottom of the page, instead of interrupting the flow of the article, I would be would be much more tempted to subscribe, after confirming that your content is relevant to me. Apparently the strategy works, as more and more bloggers are using it to bring in new subscribers. Well, spam messages also work (there is always a percentage of people who will fall for it), but it doesn't mean you would need to follow their lead. There are nicer ways to increase your subscriber base.

2) Not the right way to ask

Adriana,

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

If you are a complete stranger interested in growing YOUR network, please take the time to write a customized message to introduce yourself. I can assure you that will substantially increase the probability of your invitation being accepted.

What are your pet peeves in Web 2.0?

(Photo by ankel wart)

Photo by Cayusa

In Brazil, my native country, it's illegal to use confusing terminology and/or small font in contracts and advertisements, as a mechanism to protect consumers against tricks to convince them to buy a product or service without fully understanding the conditions.

Unfortunately, not all countries provide the same level of protection to their consumers, meaning that sites like Mouse Print are never short of stories "exposing the strings and catches buried in the fine print” of all sorts of offers and agreements, like the insistent advertisements of "free trials" for teeth whiteners that actually sign up the consumer to automatic shipments and monthly bills only disclosed in fine print.