Architectural Inertia

Inertia: indisposition to motion, exertion, or change (source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)


What happens when you subscribe to some web-based service and then you forget your password? No big deal, you can usually click on a convenient hyperlink next to the logon box labelled "Forgot your password?". That usually takes you to some sort of password-retrieval process involving the service provider sending you an email with a specially crafted URL; you then open that email, click on that URL, and enter a new password in the web form that has just opened up for you. Job done.

There are many variations on the theme, some of which are more involved than others, for example asking a whole set of personal questions to confirm your identity, but the general idea is always the same, and in many cases you can also retrieve your username through a similar procedure. These are good examples of helping users help themselves when a problem arises, or automated technical support.

Web applications, however, are moving away from usernames in favor of some other identifier that is more directly linked with the user, like the user's primary email address.

A number of web application designers, therefore, thought it would be a good idea to keep the same theme for automated tech support by offering right next to the logon box a convenient hyperlink labelled... "Forgot your email address?"

:-)