1. Home
  2. Embedded Programming
  3. Opinions Requested - "Nagging" the user

Opinions Requested - "Nagging" the user

Greetings.

(this is a bit wordy, but stick with it!)

I'm working on a piece of metrology equipment. In normal operation, it is expected that the user return the device for an annual recalibration (the device itself is often used to perform secondary calibrations of other devices).

I've been asked to provide a notification that appears at a selected interval after a factory-programmed calibration date (some users re-cal on a 6-month schedule, others choose 12 months).

I created a popup dialog which, due to the limited size of the LCD used, covers all of the display. It will automatically close after a programmable time interval, or when the user makes a selection from the keypad.

By design, all operations with the exception of displaying new data continue uninterrupted when the popup is visible.

Unfortunately, there really isn't any other signal available to use for this purpose. Also, the typical user IS conscientious about keeping the calibration valid.

Often this device will be used unattended. I don't want to annoy a regular user, but want a good probability that a casual observer will see the notification.

I'm thinking about the "duty cycle" of this notification:

When the unit is past its calibration interval:

Dialog displays for 5 minutes at the top of every hour. In the dialog, user is provided with two selection choices:

  1. Defer further notification for 7 days.
  2. Defer further notification for 30 days.

The user can also "cancel" the dialog without making a selection; the dialog will close, then pop up at the next hour.

A privileged user can also enter a simple programming menu and defeat the notification altogether, or change the (6/12) month Cal interval.

My questions are:

  1. Is 5 minutes per hour likely to be seen?
  2. Is 5 minutes too short? Too long?
  3. If you were the intended user, would you prefer shorter notifications more often, or longer notifications less often?
  4. Other suggestions? (I've already thought of "make a product that doesn't require recalibration" and "Don't notify them at all; if they don't recalibrate, it's their problem").

Thanks,

--Gene

Reply to
Gene S. Berkowitz
Loading thread data ...

I think, on the face of it, your approach is sound. This is one of those feature issues that A) will never please everyone and B) can become a political hot potato.

What are the legal and ethical issues of providing data out of calibration? If there is no risk of injury or property damage, I think you are fine with a 5 minute on the hour notification. If there is a risk of injury or damage, I'd be more inclined to change some attribute of the data or the fields around it so that the user is constantly notified that the unit out of calibration.

Reply to
Jim Stewart

number 4, below "..it's their problem" is the best answer. You haven't said what this piece of equipment measures, but any metrology lab that doesn't keep their instruments in cal isn't really a metrology lab.

I would display the cal status on the LCD and any paper and electronic records. Cal status can be as simple as "UNCAL" or you could list the last cal date and the next "cal before" date.

Our instruments also have an acceptance test that the customer can perform on site. If the unit still passes the acceptance test, then it's up to the customer if they care more about an arbitrary date.

When we send out a cal certificate with one of our products, it has to list the manufacturer, model number, serial number, and most recent cal date of every instrument used to cal our box. Customers who are serious about metrology insist on a cal cert.

you're welcome, Bob

Reply to
Bob

Gene S. Berkowitz wrote: > Greetings. >

number 4, below "..it's their problem" is the best answer. You haven't said what this piece of equipment measures, but any metrology lab that doesn't keep their instruments in cal isn't really a metrology lab.

I would display the cal status on the LCD and any paper and electronic records. Cal status can be as simple as "UNCAL" or you could list the last cal date and the next "cal before" date.

Our instruments also have an acceptance test that the customer can perform on site. If the unit still passes the acceptance test, then it's up to the customer if they care more about an arbitrary date.

When we send out a cal certificate with one of our products, it has to list the manufacturer, model number, serial number, and most recent cal date of every instrument used to cal our box. Customers who are serious about metrology insist on a cal cert.

you're welcome, Bob

Reply to
Bob

Nagging the user ...

I dislike nag messages.

I had a critical project running on a laptop in the field. The last time I got on the internet from the motel, the McAffee security program decided that I needed to re-install the security software. As I didn't have all of the original CDs with me I couldn't do anything about it at that time. My subscription still had 5 months to go. The nag screens kept popping up over a critical portion of the screen at critical times. As I couldn't get any work done with the nagging, the only thing I could do was get rid of everything McAffee. I bought Norton Internet Security on the way home. No more McAffee. They have lost my business forever because of their nag screens. I wouldn't recommend McAffee to anyone.

If you are going to nag, only do it on each powerup. It is not good to do it in the middle of a test run. It could lose you customers.

Don

Reply to
Donald Harris

Thanks for your opinion. I considered the "at power-up only" alternative; in a fixed installation, this device may never be powered off at all; that's why I took the pop-up route.

I too have been annoyed by PC software that nags without recourse, up to and including Microsoft's Windows Update. That's why I built in the means to defer or disable the popup entirely.

Thanks again,

--Gene

Reply to
Gene S. Berkowitz

No risk of injury. If the device is out of calibration, that would, of course interfere with a process that uses this device as a standard. In my lab, all test equipment is subject to annual calibration, but if I fail to check the cal sticker, it's my fault, and something for the ISO auditor to catch; we keep records, and perform sweeps of the lab to locate equipment due for cal; the expectation is that our customers might not be so thorough...

Thanks for your reply,

--Gene

Reply to
Gene S. Berkowitz

Thanks to all who replied.

Consensus seems to be that the device should permanently provide indication when past the cal date. That should be relatively straightforward to implement (the only problem being a lack of readily available space for the indication).

I'm tending toward leaving the nag in (part of what it displays IS the last calibration date); I'll raise this with the marketing folks as to whether it should default to ON or OFF...

Thanks again,

--Gene

Reply to
Gene S. Berkowitz

You could have the display blink the LAST CALIBRATION DATE when out of calibration without interfering with what is displayed.

Don

Reply to
Donald Harris

That is the real problem. The design of the default display is flawed: space for an "OUT OF CALIBRATION" status indicator really ought to have been reserved on all screen layouts displaying any data possibly affected by miscalibration. A "Recalibrate before: ...." sticker prominently positioned on the case might serve the same purpose, but only if it's on the face of the device, right next to the display.

That nag screen is just a band-aid to fix the symptom, but doesn't cure the disease.

Ultimately the question is: what is your goal? Do you want to browbeat people into calibrating regularly, even at the risk of offending some, who might then take their business elsewhere? Or do you just want to provide yourself with an "But it told you so!" argument for the case of a customer coming back at you, complaining that the device was misaligned?

Reply to
Hans-Bernhard Bröker

I have, at my place of work, got two signal generators that have a nag screen about calibration when they are turned on. Not a problem to use when the calibration does not matter too much (bench based functional testing of units) but can be more important when you need to rely on the calibration of the device.

I have, where safety is at risk by non-calibration, barred operation beyond the recalibration date. However, if there is no safety reason for barring operation a nag screen at power up or during each 24 hours of continued operation would seem to be sufficient notification.

--
********************************************************************
Paul E. Bennett...............
Forth based HIDECS Consultancy
Mob: +44 (0)7811-639972
Tel: +44 (0)1235-811095
Going Forth Safely ..... EBA. www.electric-boat-association.org.uk..
********************************************************************
Reply to
Paul E. Bennett

Too bad my goal wasn't to annoy you, because I seem to have succeeded without any recoding at all...

--Gene

Reply to
Gene S. Berkowitz

Gene, all good stuff. Possibly make the Calibration configurable. Certainly in the industry that I'm involved in (medical), I would probably opt for a mode in which the equipment is basically inoperable, until it has been calibrated. For us, to carry out verification and validation activities on uncalibrated equipment could be very costly. In the end, it would be better to "block" the use of the equipement until it has been calibrated.

+====================================+ I hate junk email. Please direct any genuine email to: kenlee at hotpop.com
Reply to
Ken Lee

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.