So we set up a beta and give it to couple of end users and then watch them be BAFFLED by our “intuitive” interface.

Or I’m amazed the way some people use the tools we take for granted. For example, whenever I need to make edits to an attachment I save it somewhere on the file system first. Then when I need to send it I go to my email client, create a new email, and attach the file.

I actually observed people to open the email from an attachment, edit it, then go to File->Send To and email the working copy, without it ever actually being saved on the file system. Of course this failed miserably when we got 3rd party documents which used VB macros that required the files to be saved somewhere on the fie system in a non-temp directory for some reason. Whoever wrote them never assumed people could use office documents this way. And so the app would blow up every time people opened it directly from the email without saving it somewhere first.

Also, I wonder why we ended up with the “Drag and Drop” action rather the more intuitive “Pick up and Drop” action you described above. It seems like it makes more sense. But then again, until I read this post I never even considered it.