A familiar refrain: make software companies accountable for mistakes, errors, lost time, and even undecipherable dialog boxes. This exerpt from Leonardo's Laptop by Ben Scheiderman ties together the familiar lost-time studies with the perfection of Leonardo's technique.
A More User-Friendly Direction - Darwin Magazine
When a waiter spilled tomato soup on my pant leg, he apologized, offered to pay for dry cleaning and gave our table free desserts. When an airline delay for mechanical problems exceeds a certain time period, passengers are entitled to free meals or hotels. Software suppliers should be expected to take responsibility for their users, too.