A lot of cool salsadelphia features I'd like to do are on hold until I get around to adding accounts for regular folks to the system. Stuff like submitting photos really ought to involve a verified account, if only so that you can choose to remove them later.

Today, though, I realized that accounts are completely unnecessary to allow people to give me some basic feedback on the accuracy of the salsa directory. And since most people will never be arsed to create an account, that's a very good thing.

The site now features "cancel" buttons for each event. These are AJAX-driven, lightweight gadgets that display a confirmation prompt in context and, if that particular user session hasn't already nagged me about that particular event, send me an email pointing out that the event has long since gone to the Land Where Nightclubs Are Eternally Blessed... at least according to J. Random Salsero. Who is usually right.

I plan to add a "wrench" button as well which lets the user say a little more about why the entry isn't flat-out wrong but nevertheless needs correcting.

This, I think, is the best way to get constructive criticism from your users: make it ridiculously quick and easy for them to give that input. Accept that most of them will not bother making accounts, much less fill out book-length forms for you. Help them over the hump. Don't drag them away from what they really came for as punishment for helping you out.

The fanatical can still find the email link on your "About" page and send you all the information they could wish. These little buttons in the main directory are for the merely interested. Which is to say, 99% of your users.

Tags: ajax, geek, web