Author Topic: The OK button  (Read 6441 times)

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Offline FreewheelinFrank

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The OK button
« on: June 21, 2005, 10:09:59 AM »


What exactly is the OK button for here?

OK is used in assenting or agreeing but what am I assenting or agreeing to here?

It seems just to be an existentialist statement: 'A virus was found on your computer' 'OK, Cest la vie.'

I can think of two possible functions:

1. To accept the recommended action to take in dealing with the virus: move/rename, delete, repair, move to chest.

2. To ignore the virus warning in the event of a known false positive.

I must admit I've been thinking about that button for a long time.

During a Ad-Aware scan the other day, avast! popped up a warning about Redlof in Trend Micro Sysclean (a known false positive) and I decided to try out the 'OK' button.

The warning disappeared but the Sysclean file remained. So it is a sort of 'ignore the warning' button. I tried opening the folder containing Sysclean. avast! popped up the same warning. I clicked OK again. The warning disappeared. The Sysclean file remained in the folder.

If this button is an 'ignore warning' button, I think it needs a further pop-up warning if pressed, along the lines of 'Do you really want to ignore this warning?'

The function of the button definitely needs to be made clear: I suspect users may be pressing it thinking they are going to take the right action to deal with a real virus: in fact it appears they may be ignoring a real threat.

This is a minor quibble about an otherwise great product, but it needs sorting guys!
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Offline igor

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2005, 10:15:58 AM »
The function of the button definitely needs to be made clear: I suspect users may be pressing it thinking they are going to take the right action to deal with a real virus: in fact it appears they may be ignoring a real threat.

Well, it's not exactly "ignoring" - what the OK button really means (for the Standard Shield!) is "don't do any action with the infected file, but deny access to it". So, if the user is about to execute the (infected) file, it will be prevented, if another application is trying to access the (infected) file, its request will be denied and it will not be able to read it. The file will stay intact, however.

Offline FreewheelinFrank

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2005, 10:23:24 AM »
Hmmm.... It's not exactly clear from the word OK that the action taken if the button is pressed is "don't do any action with the infected file, but deny access to it" is it?

I can see the need for such an option, but I think it should be tucked away in a corner, with a full explanation of what the option involves.

At the moment, it's still too tempting to think 'this is the default action the program wants me to take.'
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Offline igor

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2005, 10:34:58 AM »
The nearby text ("If you press the OK button, the malware will not be activated") was meant as a hint... OK, I admit it's not very clear. The whole virus dialog may often be confusing to an inexperienced user.

The uncoming update will have slightly different texts for special cases (incoming e-mail, web shield, ...) - let's see if it helps anyhow. It would be nice to make the virus dialog "clearer", but it's not obvious to me how to do it.

Actually, I was not completely correct in what I wrote above; this is the meaning of the "OK" button for the Standard Shield when an infected file is detected on execution/reading. If an infected file is detected on writing (i.e. "creation/modification"), the OK button won't do do anything (there's no access to deny because the file is already on disk).

So, I would say that the OK button actually says "Don't do anything", with possible side effects noted by the surrounding text.

Offline FreewheelinFrank

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2005, 10:53:33 AM »
I found the "If you press the OK button, the malware will not be activated" message rather enigmatic. It did suggest to me that it was some kind of ignore button, but would you expect any button to actually activate the malware?

Quote
The whole virus dialog may often be confusing to an inexperienced user.

C'mon Igor! A good computer program should be intuitive to use and give even an inexperienced user enough information to make a decision.

The screen down to 'Recommended action' is pretty good: clear information, clear options with one recommended. It should be no problem even for an inexperienced user. (Perhaps a 'more information' link here would be good: what happens when I choose this option and when would I want to choose it.)

But that last section of the screen is a real disaster: I'm not an inexperienced user, and I've only understood it after your explanation today. An inexperienced user is going to look at an 'OK' button and say 'Ah, yes. That's what the program wants me to do.' Isn't that what you do with a Windows pop-up with an OK at the bottom: just click on OK and see if it works?

Quote
It would be nice to make the virus dialog "clearer", but it's not obvious to me how to do it.

OK here's my suggestion:

Add a small 'ignore' button at the bottom of the screen saying: Take no action with the file, but deny access. There should be a clear explanation of when you should choose this option (wheb should you choose it?): maybe 'You should only choose this option if you are sure ... There should then be a pop-up saying 'Are you really sure you want to ignore this file. The recommended action is to..
« Last Edit: June 21, 2005, 11:04:01 AM by FreewheelinFrank »
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Offline FreewheelinFrank

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2005, 11:55:05 AM »
Quote
It would be nice to make the virus dialog "clearer", but it's not obvious to me how to do it.

This sounds like a challenge!





My consults fee bill is in the post.  ;D

Anybody else got any ideas?
« Last Edit: June 21, 2005, 12:49:46 PM by FreewheelinFrank »
     Bambleweeny 57 sub-meson brain     Don't Surf in the Nude Blog

Offline Lisandro

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2005, 01:52:13 PM »
The text is changed in the new comming version of avast... But it's not as long as you ask so.
I'm on translating it  8)
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Offline DavidR

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2005, 04:12:07 PM »
I think that the confusion arises from the fact that one of the actions is highlighted (the recommended action), Move/Rename, Delete, Repair, Move to Chest, and the user believe that by clicking OK they are saying OK to that recommended action.

I have seen threads in the forums with this OK button confusion and I too have commented on it previously.

Perhaps as frank is suggesting in processing actions we should also have Accept Recommended Action this may make the 4 buttons in available actions redundant. To me to have all those buttons and have an OK button most people will hit the OK button most times regardless of what text you put with it, they do it almost as a reflex action to all the pop-up informative windows already, they are almost conditioned to do it.

But to me clicking the OK button should carry out the Recommended Action.
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Offline igor

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2005, 07:09:58 PM »
OK, since I think this is quite an important issue, I discussed it with Vlk and we decided on a few additional changes. So, for now, the "OK" button will be changed into "No action". I hope it will at least avoid the confusion about what this button means.

Technical, I'll send you the update afterwards. There are just a few small changes.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2005, 07:16:11 PM »
Technical, I'll send you the update afterwards. There are just a few small changes.
I have the Passolo file translated.
What do you want to do, say me the changes or I can send you the Passolo and you'll make the changes for yourself?
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Offline igor

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2005, 07:32:49 PM »
Send me the Passolo package, please. I'll send you the updated one tomorrow.
Thanks!

Offline Lisandro

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2005, 07:47:11 PM »
Send me the Passolo package, please. I'll send you the updated one tomorrow.
Thanks!
I'm doing the last checkings (dialog sizes and spelling)... just some minutes...
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Offline igor

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2005, 07:50:42 PM »
There's certainly no need to hurry - I won't be back at work for another 13 hours at least :)

Offline Lisandro

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Re: The OK button
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2005, 07:52:05 PM »
There's certainly no need to hurry - I won't be back at work for another 13 hours at least :)
Thanks... so I can do it with a little more calm down  8)
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