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Computer Rage: Theory and Practice
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... 98 ). These frustrations reduce the productivity of employees, the profitability of companies, and sales on e-commerce Web sites (Lazar, 2006). There is even potentially an impact on mood and relationships with others (Lazar, Jones, Hackley, & Shneiderman, 2006a). It is not surprising that an estimated 80% of users have cursed at their computer (K. Norman, 2004). This research study builds on the work of two previous research studies on frustration . In one study with students, and one study with workplace users, the frustrations that these users faced as well as the time lost were examined through the use of a time diary (). It was reported that users waste an average of 37% to 50% of the tim ...
In previous research, the computer frustrations of student and workplace users have been documented. However, the challenges faced by blind users on the Web have not been previously examined. In this study, 100 blind users, using time diaries, re- corded their frustrations using the Web. The top causes of frustration reported were (a) page layout causing confusing screen reader feedback; (b) conflict between screen reader and application; (c) poorly designed/unlabeled forms; (d) no alt text for pictures; and (e) 3-way tie between misleading links, inaccessible PDF, and a screen reader crash. Most of the causes of frustration, such as inappropriate form and graphic labels and confusing page layout, are relatively simple to solve if Webmasters and Web designers focus on this effort. In addition, the more techni- cally challenging frustrations, such as screen reader crashes and conflicts, need to be addressed by the screen reader developers. Blind users in this study were likely to repeatedly attempt to solve a frustration, not give up, and not reboot the computer. In this study, the blind users reported losing, on average, 30.4% of time due to these frustrating situations. Implications for Web developers, screen reader developers, and screen reader users are discussed in this article.
User frustration with information and computing technology is a pervasive and persistent problem. When computers crash, network
congestion causes delays, and poor user interfaces trigger confusion there are dramatic consequences for individuals, organizations,
and society. These frustrations, not only cause personal dissatisfaction and loss of self-efficacy, but may disrupt workplaces,
slow learning, and reduce participation in local and national communities. Our exploratory study of 107 student computer users
and 50 workplace computer users shows high levels of frustration and loss of 1/3–1/2 of time spent. This paper reports on
the incident and individual factors that cause of frustration, and how they raise frustration severity. It examines the frustration
impacts on the daily interactions of the users. The time lost and time to fix problem, and importance of task, strongly correlate
with frustration levels for both student and workplace users. Differences between students and workplace users are discussed
in the paper, as are implications for researchers.
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