Cannot Mount External drive error message is unhelpful

[Ivanka Majic]

On Ubuntu 8.10

I plugged in my external hard drive and got the Cannot Mount Volume pop-up error.
Clicking on details reveals a more detailed error message.

1) There seem to be other bugs which deal with the actual mounting of external drives so that is not what I am reporting.

2) The error messaging is not end-user facing and could be significantly improved. The related actions are not helpful and leave the user with an error from which there is no obvious path to recovery.

In the short term I suggest that the text in the details area be cleaned up to make it more legible. The actual text itself could be structured more like:

The device you just plugged in cannot be read
Option 1:
Option 2:

The actual text of the options can remain the same in the short term.

In the long term it might be nice to redesign this to include some simpler imagery and language (for example, Mount is new terminology to many people) as well a more obvious Help button or link. The design would need a little bit of time and discussion which I am happy to get involved with if and when there is time.

See also bug 386327, about providing an option to force-mount the disk.

[Dominik Smatana (dominik-smatana)]

Thank you for taking the time to make Ubuntu better.

Since what you submitted is not really a bug, or a problem, but rather an idea to improve Ubuntu, you are invited to post your idea in Ubuntu Brainstorm at http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/ where it can be discussed, voted by the community and reviewed by developers.

Thanks for taking the time to share your opinion!

[Ivanka Majic (ivanka)]

Hi Dominik,

Thank you for taking the time to review this bug. I am quite new to Ubuntu bug reporting as an activity so please bear with me while I present a more robust case. In my weak attempt to provide a short-term solution I think I diluted the strength of my message.

Due to the fact that this usability bug prevents the user from taking a next step and completing their intended task I believe it should be reclassified.

As it stands, any non-technical user is not likely to expand the details and, in the unlikely event that they do, the language and presentation of the error message is a significant barrier to them recovering from the error.

If we take a look at the GNOME Human Interfaces Guidelines on Warning and Error messages (http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/language-errors.html.en) this error message clearly does not conform.

There is a difference between a usability bug which prevents a user from completing their task and one where the experience could be improved. This error message definitely falls into the former.

A fairly widely used list of usability heuristics (http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html) includes Error prevention and Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from error.

I suggest that at the very least the short-term solution I propose should be implemented and that a design which includes a more appropriate icon and open and available steps for recovery should be implemented.

Sorry I wasted your time the first time!

[Dominik Smatana (dominik-smatana)]

Hello,

thank you for all additional info and supporting documentation. We really appreciate it.

Personally, I like this idea and 100% agree with your opinion.

I just wanted to say, I think Ubuntu Brainstorm (http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/) is much better platform than this bug tracking system for suggestions like this and for discussions about new ideas with our community members and developers.

I'll try to look for existing ideas regarding this problem and post your suggestions for "brainstorming" as well :)

Thanks again for taking the time to share your opinion.

[Ivanka Majic (ivanka)]

This is a bug in two parts. First is the fact that the drive couldn't mount which is a technical issue of some description.
Second is the error message itself which is unhelpful. I appreciate that it isn't always possible to suggest what a user might do to rectify the problem but it is necessary in order to provide a good experience even when things go wrong.

As it currently stands the offline equivalent is this:

I am sitting on a train on my way from Brighton to London. The announcer apologises that train has encountered a problem and is canceled. I am left standing on a platform trying to find out how to get to work.

A better experience is this.

I am sitting on a train on my way from Brighton to London. The announcer apologises that the train is being canceled and suggests that I go to Platform X to catch and alternative train. I am still late, but I am not standing on a platform clueless as to what to do next.

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

This package has been removed from Ubuntu. Closing all related bugs.