2018-04-27

1000 lines of JavaScript and the form validation is still bad

Unexpected website behaviour, insurance edition: https://www.outsurance.co.za/insurance-clients/submit-claim/. Despite the web page loading around 1000 lines of JavaScript source files in order to request very basic information from clients, the behaviour strikes the user as strange. As soon as the user selects one of the three "radio" buttons at the top (surely, the first step), the three red invalidation exclamations at the bottom appear.


Now, it is actually not even necessary to complete both the "ID number" and "Facility number" fields (one being sufficient) so this is bad in any case but should one not at least be given time to try? Even better, in case all of these three fields are completed before selecting the category at the top, the form immediately throws up all three red invalidation exclamations again and reverts "Department" to the default non-selection instead of the value entered earlier.

HTML forms should not be rocket science and, in my view, should rather be simple and functional rather than baroque and strangely non-navigable, like this one. Incidentally, the end result of having completed the form was that a friendly operator phoned me and asked me to provide my ID or facility number...

2018-04-18

Onverwagse webwerf-foutboodskap 400

Hierdie boodskap verskyn by my in Opera op blockchain.info waar die webblaaier waarskynlik die taal wat verkies word as Afrikaans aanmeld. Dit is amper nooit 'n probleem nie want die webbediener hoort die inhoud dan net in die verstektaal van die webwerf (Engels, Russies of watookal) aan te bied.

Ek het nie so ver gegaan as om te probeer uitwerk watter tale almal dié fout gee nie...

2018-04-07

Uber localisation cяaziness (locale unknown)


From Wikipedia: "a locale is a set of parameters that defines the user's language, region and any special variant preferences that the user wants to see in their user interface." Basically, German has never been a language that I specified as a preference on any system, so why does Uber give me German headings on the app when I arrive in Warsaw on a flight from Berlin? I do not even recall having a German interface while in Germany (which I would not expect).

It seems likely that the Uber app somehow looks at the default language for your previous location when setting the locale for some of the text of the present one. Possible a typing error in a variable name in the code...

Is is possible that AI will be useful in spotting this kind of unexpected behaviour in software?