Email Address 2X

[Bryan Cockerham]

When you’re putting together forms on the web, are you asking people to input their email address twice?

 

We have a few places - registration, contact forms, etc - where it is critical that we get their correct email address.  Having them input twice usually cuts down on errors.

It’s also a little old-school and a little annoying to the user.

 

If you’re not asking them twice, how many erroneous email addresses are you seeing?  

 

Is there a way, aside from having them sign in to Facebook Connect, that ensures they enter their data correctly, and doesn’t annoy them?

 

Your philosophy is much appreciated,

Bryan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

about me: http://www.bryancockerham.com

 

Relax.  Don't be so hard on yourself.   You don't have to be perfect...

...you just have to be better than everyone else.

 

[Benjamin Zajac]

I don't think it's too annoying to have to input it twice.

Maybe an old school javascript confirm box onsubmit might help, as it is just a click rather than typing.

I would also vote for larger spacier font in email inputs. If it's hard to read, its hard to confirm. That's the reason for Password confirm, type it twice because you can't visually confirm it. Email you can, unless the font is tiny and hard to read. Larger font would put it in there face, and help them spot errors easier.

[Jonathan Kraska]

I think most people understand that its important to get right and understand why they are being asked twice.  

On sometimes i ask twice, sometimes i don't.  In general, if its a registration form i'm going to require email activation anyway, so i dont bother.  Though part of me thinks if you cant type your own email address right, maybe i don't want you using my site anyway.  

Jonathan Kraska
www.jkraska.com

[Benjamin Zajac]

"Though part of me thinks if you cant type your own email address right, maybe i don't want you using my site anyway."

Seconded.