Please don’t disable ‘esc’ and ‘backspace’ functionality

Recently I had a word with one of the super heads of an Indian IT company regarding common usability issues problems and why they occur and how they can be avoided. Lets me recall you the conversation

IT Manager –
Can you tell me the most common problems that can be avoided in web based applications

I said
Common key features like keyboard back button, escape button….. print-screen, control, alt keys…. These are the most used keys a user always presses. Now imaging if any of these keys are been disabled or you will get an alert that you cannot use this…. Oooh gosh whats going on ??? how to do this now…. And even if you see the alternative you will again commit the same thing. That’s human mentality

IT Manager
So how to avoid this…..

I said
It’s simple, please don’t disable such common functionality, it disturbs the human nature and so the task which he is doing gets disturbed.

IT Manager
Can you give me an example where you have seen or faced this issue

I said
Ya sure…. Practical example is the ICICI Net banking. I was seeing my account and went to another link within the interface, then again I wanted to go back to previous screen, I pressed backspace from keyboard, and then the whole session was expired and annoyingly, system said that “you are not allowed to press backspace” and it took me back to login page…. Why did I do anything wrong.

IT Manager
There are some securities issues so banking applications are forced to do this…. Technical issues are hard to tackle you see

I said
That does not mean that you limit users action…. Another example is HDFC bank net banking, here the interface if clean and crispy, to the point talking, you see the account, do transactions, clearly press back key to go back to the previous screens…. NO error prompting…. Cool I say. At the end of it I felt more secure and I had completed my task quickly, without any glitches. So point here is why then disable common elements things.

IT Manager
What if the project demands

I said
We need to communicate this and tell the project person the issue

IT Manager
What if he dosen’t agree or if he is adamant on doing the same

I said
Well in that case the error should be such that it should prompt in the same screen and the language should be appropriate not demanding or ordering the user. Lastly he should not be taken to a session out page of new page wherein the whole task which he is doing gets lost

IT Manager
So you mean to say that one should not play around or tamper with the common key functions which users are costumed to use right

I said
Exactly…. That is what I meant….

Bangalore, it's chaos....

People who are staying and working in so called IT hub of India, god help them, chaos all around. Bangaloreans are the most horrible people I have ever met….. especially the vendors, rickshawallas, workers. Either they are not worried about their living or they pretend to be arrogant. Traffic is worse than Bombay, only good thing I can see is that people have some road sense. Every road is either one way or leads to different location. Even if you loose out on one route, you will be landed in a different place. And frustrating part is for the 4 wheelers. Workers (I mean those who deliver goods to your house) keep pestering you for CHAI PAANI (bribe) and horrible thing is that they demand that instead of requesting. Order placed in a big showroom will reach only after 2 or 3 weeks and that too after 100s of follow up. Catching a rickshaw is one more headache… mostly rickshaw drivers refuse to come and even if they come they charge you more (again they demand). Lastly language problem….. you need to know kannada or to an extent tamil to survive.