Just wondering what your take is on Amazon's lack of "exit" indications on any of its pages.
It takes a bit of figuring out that you need to go back to the home page and click on "If you're not Marc Takeno, _click here_". Most people can figure it out, but then again... a lot of people can't.
I know it's to keep people in the Amazon cookie loop, but I think they should make it more obvious where you can click to exit if you're on a nonsecure computer, such as a lab or public access term. Just my opinion.
-Marc"
I asked him if I could reprint his note, because i think the question of exiting pages and exit behavior is an interesting one. thoughts, kids?
, from oldest to newest:
I think that Amazon is making a big assumption. They are assuming that the vast majority of people using their site and shopping are using a secure computer and connection.
I think that the assumption is a fair one. Most shopping is probably done from home or by using a computer in a business environment. On a personal level, I can say that I never went to Amazon to shop or even look at my account on a computer in a nonsecure environment. I have gone to Amazon on a public machine several times, but only to browse.
This brings up another interesting question: Are all computers really equal? Let's assume that all computers are equal in terms of processing power, RAM, hard drive space, internet connection, etc. Are all computers equal? I think the answer is definitely no. At a minimum, all computers are not the same to me. I treat them differently in different environments. The computer really isn't a general purpose device. It is highly context dependent. I think that Amazon is playing off this idea, and I think they are right.
It is kind of funny, from home or work, I feel like I can carry out a secure transaction but I don't feel that way in public. I feel like shopping on a computer at a library, for example, is an invitation to disaster. When using a public computer or terminal, I simply assume that the connection is not private or secure. So, the computer might be physically and logically the same as what I have at home or work, but the context eliminates my trust entirely.
So, returning to the idea of exit pages, I would bet that Amazon is counting on this kind of thinking. Perhaps I am wrong, but I'd love to alternative theories.
Cheers,
- John
Posted by John S. Rhodes @ 11/27/2001 05:58 AM pst
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My .02 cents is that the Amazon brass feel it's okay to inconvenience a relatively small portion of their customer base in exchange for keeping people "in the cookie loop" (great phrase, BTW!).
Cookies let them control customer fidelity ("1 click is so easy!"), promotions (directing returning users away from a page with a 10% promo for new customers), and experience (wishlist, suggested books add value).
Cookies help them with both adoption and retention, so they don't want to give anyone ideas about erasing it.
If they created an easy-to-access logout/exit page, users might logout even from private computers because it seems like the thing to do. "Logout, huh? Maybe I should in case one of the kids gets on the computer. Why not, it's easy." or for the newbie: "Logout? I didn't realize there was anything I should be protecting!"
I work on a site that has a Logout link clearly displayed, and I've noticed that during usability tests, when asked to end their session, people will click Logout rather than just closing the browser. Why? "Because it's there, why not?" Classic!
Posted by Sandra @ 11/28/2001 10:30 AM pst
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