I am told this is because SQL Server requires a search before you can submit feedback (this is not true of all connections). So for whatever reason, they want a "submit feedback" button that does nothing, instead of just hiding the feedback button altogether (or replacing it with a more readily available search button). This button used to work in the SQL Server connection; it would just bring you to the search page. Here is how it *used* to work in SQL Server:
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1. click the orange "submit feedback" button
2. you were brought to a "search first, please!" page
3. after you searched, you could submit a feedback item
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Now, this is how it works as of this weekend in SQL Server:
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1. click the orange "submit feedback" button
2. wait
3. scratch head
4. curse
5. realize that they took the button's clickability away
6. go read stuff to figure out that instead of clicking the intuitive "submit feedback" button to start the process, you should ignore it completely, and instead start a search from a completely different place in the interface before any such button *might* be available.
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If the "submit feedback" button is not going to do anything, then it doesn't add anything. In the case where a search is required, instead of saying "don't provide a link for the button," can't the code simply say, "don't show the button"?

Hi Aaron,

You are correct. The button is disabled because the connection requires a search before submit is allowed.

No fucntionality was lost, but I do agree the new workflow was hit.

I like the idea of having a search box more readily available in these cases besides the disabled button.

However, we were not comfortable with a button saying "Submit Feedback" that actually performed a search.

Your workaround is valid and we will be looking into improving this workflow as soon as we can.

Thanks!

-Roberto

> No fucntionality was lost

Sure there was! Prior to Saturday, I could click on the "Submit Feedback" button. It would take me to a search first, but it still *functioned.*

> However, we were not comfortable with a button saying "Submit Feedback" that actually performed a search.

As opposed to a button saying "Submit Feedback" that does nothing? Can I ask again why you can't just hide the button in connections where a search is a prerequisite? The current workflow is absolutely dreadful.

By functionality (sorry for the typo in my earlier comment), I was referring to the overall ability to submit feedback. I totally agree with you the experience was impacted.

If we hide the button, how would users even know they can submit feedback? I think the problem is the messaging, and as you mention the search being closer top the button.

Thanks!

-Roberto

Having a button which just does nothing is amateurish. It gives the user the impression that the site is just broken, and is more likely to make them give up than anything.

Having a submit button which performs a search first will seem a little strange the first time, but if you include text on the search page to the effect of "You are required to search for existing submissions before submitting your own", it will immediately make sense and never be an issue after that.

I think this is a page and workflow design issue, not necessarily a browser issue. I am using IE 8 and have the same experience on the Main page. Until I went through to perform a search, I did not believe that the ability to submit feedback existed for me because the large button was not active. The button design is not an informational heading, but of the type and placement used for a click event to perform an action. But it does nothing and is not intended to do so? I find this very misleading and confusing. When I did finally get to a search results page, I was also discouraged by not finding the link described for me to submit my feedback within the primary view area. I was not sure it existed either. I had to try several times and then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page on the lower left navigation to find it.

I have also found that when I leave the browser session and wish to go back to submit my feedback I must perform a search all over again. This is very time consuming and does not provide value.

I wholeheartedly agree with the need for new design and messaging for bug entry. From my experience, this is not industry standard. We want to submit bugs, and do so easily and quickly. As a former PM and developer, I can understand the desire to minimize duplicate bugs to search through on the back end to allow for quick assignment, action and fixes. But there is value in them, and it is far more valuable to get feedback from users in general and organize bugs by classification or type and feature area. It may even be more helpful to give users the ability to select the application and feature area, etc. to report bugs against. In the current design, you still run a reasonable risk of duplicates as many people may not describe events in the same way and thus not locate them in searches.

I hope this helps. Please fix the button and streamline this process. If anything, having the button take the user to the search entry page would allow users to continue. And placing the link to submit feedback closer to the top where search results are displayed would be much more useful.

Update:

We worked with several product teams that had this "search before submit" workflow enabled for their connections, to put in place a temporary solution (see http://connect.microsoft.com/sql/feedback). We are designing a similar permanent fix for our December release.

In summary:

- The UI will look similar to the one in the link above (2-step process)
- Step #1 will have a search box (instead on the arrow pointing to the search box at the top of the page)
- The disabled button will be replaced by an image depicting where to find the submit button in the search page
- The Submit Feedback link on the search results page will be replaced by a bigger and more discoverable button

Let me know if you have any feedback on this.

Thanks,

-Roberto

You can enter a search and from the results page you can use the "Submit it yourself" link in the bottom left corner.