Adobe done badly - product feedback is good!
While downloading the latest Adobe reader i ran into a slight problem. We are behind a proxy and the new installation tool that Adobe uses doesn't *seem* to work that way. I'm guessing because the installation tool downloads from the browser and then runs separately and tries to connect to from web address endpoint, doesn't use my browser proxy settings and so can't authenticate and get out.
So, being the nice guy that I am i figured i'd tell Adobe. What i wanted to do was send them a simple email saying "Do you know your new installation program fails behind a proxy."
After looking about the ironically titled "contact us" page for at least a minute (which really is longer than "contacting us" should ever take...) i saw something saying "Try our automated e-mail response system". Here i was presented with (small text to save space):
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Web submissions are handled from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday. We will respond to you via e-mail within one or two business days of receipt.
Now for a company who make excellent user friendly document software, this is probaly as off putting as i can imagine a form could get. The point is really that companies should think more about how to encourage user feedback about their products rather than hindering the process. Oh, and it doesn't always have to be technical - it can be the obvious stuff too! It's one thing to break your software - and another to stop people telling you about it. The Microsoft feedback site is a bit better, but i still think they could benefit from a "just tell us" link which has a email address, a subject and a textbox. A newletter from Steve Ballmer last year discussed how the Visual Studio product had been dramatically improved from user feedback during the development process. I have even been involved in feedback myself at Microsoft. Some feedback must be better than none at all?!
So i won't be telling them. If you know the email address, please do.
Steven.