Confusion about New Error Message Suggestion

The Confusion:

Since the new version of the markup validation service this list is  
increasingly bombarded with *New Error Message Suggestions* which turn out  
to be queries about errors and validation.

How comes this?

When validation results list errors each of these errors is provided with  
a mailto link.
This link reads "(Send feedback on message #var)".

When confronted with this list of errors the occasional user of the  
validation service might be puzzled by their meaning, thus trying to get  
help by using this link, as might be deduced by the link text (_feedback_).

Now the subject provided with the URI reads "[VE][var] New Error Message  
Suggestion".
I am pretty sure none of the users backfeeding this list takes a single  
glance at the subject line provided.


The Suggestion:

IF this list prefers to stick to its aim discussing the validation  
services the link text should be changed to something like "[VE][var]  
Suggest Improved Error Message".

IF however this list cares about getting this kind of queries the subject  
inside the mailto link should be changed to something like "Feedback on  
Message #var".

Although some such queries can be quite interesting I think as a whole  
they rather go beyond the scope of this list.

The results page already provides a reference to more information at  
http://validator.w3.org/feedback.html with the "Feedback: The W3C  
Validator Team" link right at the bottom of the page. If this link would  
be placed in a more prominent area of the page, e.g. in line with "Below  
are the results of attempting to parse this document with an SGML  
parser.", most users would find help and answers for their problems in the  
appropriate places and more easily than it is now the case.


Cheers,

jens




-- 
Jens Brueckmann
http://www.j-a-b.net/

Received on Thursday, 3 June 2004 19:39:14 UTC