Are you sure? …and other annoying windows

There’s a really great article published on the simple-talk website regarding Microsoft’s annoying habit of presenting you with annoying confirmation dialog boxes. They’re either ridiculously repetitive or the timing of being presented with them can mess up your entire day of planned computer activities.

There’s the instance shared below:

One of the worst habits is to have unnecessary pop-ups and dialog-boxes. Vista is horrible in pursuing this vice. Even in response to the seemingly most straightforward of request for action, it apparently cannot resist subjecting the user to an onslaught of silly, nannying dialog boxes. "Are you sure you want to do xxx?" Yes…Click. "This requires your authority to yyy?" YES, I know…Click. "You are about to zzzz, click OK to Confirm" Yes, Yes, YES!!! For goodness sake.

The worst of these dialog boxes pop up after a short delay, usually at the beginning of a long copying job, and just after one has nipped off to the pub for lunchtime refreshment. One returns an hour later only to find that the process hasn’t even started and instead the dreaded "Are you sure you wish to overwrite xxxx?" dialog box is gazing limply at you from the screen.

How many times have you gotten caught in one of those instances where you weren’t quite paying attention to the dialog boxes and thought a process was running, only to find out later you didn’t actually click enough of the "OK" buttons to start the process?

The writer, Tony Davis, suggests that perhaps Windows should develop functionality and partner with keyboard manufacturers to deliver a "JFDI key". I’ll let you figure out what the letters would stand for in your situation, but I’m sure you’ll get the drift.

If you go to the article and leave your own example of a broken user-design and user-interface snafu you can win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Image: Screen shot of empty recycle bin confirmation dialog