It seems quite a few “web 2.0” apps too have the same glitch: they throw away user input when the first page finishes loading.
This is especially noticeable on slow connections (UMTS, DSL that is a long distance from the phone company, EDGE, GPRS, etc): the connection speeds that a lot of developers don’t seem to test on.
So, the sequence of events goes like this:
- The data entry fields (in this case, from and to location) become visible
- You put the focus on the from field
- You type the from address (I do blind typing)
- You press the tab key to go to the to field (more and more Web 2.0 apps get their tab order right nowadays)
- You type the to address
- You wait until the “GO” button becomes visible
- The Web 2.0 app keeps loading
- It erases the “from” and “to” fields that you just typed
Or more general:
when you start typing in a Web 2.0 app which is still loading, almost all the times you loose your input.
And since there is usually no visual clue when the Web 2.0 app has finished loading, you have to wait until you feel comfortable not loosing your input.
Bad!
Examples that get this wrong:
- routes.tomtom.com (throws away all your input)
- wordpress login (throws away your username)
Please add your own in the comments…
–jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 