Software that is not fully debugged can be very frustrating indeed. I am a user of Blackboard Learning System—version CE Enterprise License (Release CE 8.0.5) [18.0.5.57]—and every time I open it I receive a ‘Java Security Warning’ that says ‘the application requires an earlier version of Java’ and asks ‘Do you want to continue?’ with an exclamation mark in a yellow warning triangle. It goes on to explain that ‘the required version of Java, 1.6.0-oem, is not the latest and may not contain the latest security updates.’ I am presented with two options: ‘Run’ or ‘Cancel.’ I choose one or other and the pop-up warning closes—why present me with two options if whatever choice I make has exactly the same outcome? If I wanted to design software specially to addle the user I would find it hard to outdo this—I am lacking in depth of creative mischieviousness. Three of the warnings appear every time, one behind the other, so I have to click ‘Run’ or ‘Cancel’ three times in succession. In my lifetime so far I have spent a good number of seconds doing this.
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