stupid websites

Yesterday at the library I was helping, or trying to help, some man navigate Safeway's job application website/software. This is the worst website I have ever seen.

In the words of Sesame Street's The Count, “One, one massive mistake, mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha” *lightning flash and sound of thunder*: to create an account you don't just provide a username and password. You also have to enter your Social Security Number, not once but twice. (The second time to confirm you entered it correctly.) I have serious problems with a company that wants an SSN before they hire someone.

“Two, two massive mistakes”: I've never seen a site that requires an SSN on the login screen. I'm guesstimating that Safeway wants to do some sort of a background check, but why isn't that data part of the personal profile.

“Three, three massive mistakes”: The login screen for an existing account also asks for the SSN twice. Okay, now this is just plain stupid. Even if the SSN is part of the login process, there is absolutely no reason to ask for it twice on the login screen. The SSN must already be in the database which means it's going to be compared to the SSN entered when the account was created. I would see that having to enter the SSN twice here is the most idiotic thing I've ever seen but no, it gets worse.

“Four, four massive mistakes”: On the screen to create an account, you're asked how you first heard about Safeway (a pretty massive grocery store in this area) as an employment opportunity. Again, this question does not belong on the screen where the account is created.

“Five, five massive mistakes”: This is unbelievably stupid. When logging into an existing account, you are asked – again – how you first heard about Safeway as an employment opportunity. Because how you first learned about something could change. *shakes head in disbelief*

“Six, six massive mistakes”: When the guy clicked the logout button, he was not logged out of the system. He was taken to a screen that asked him for more personal information. I'm sure there is more wrong with this system, but that is as much as I saw and certainly far more than I wanted to see.

Honestly, if I personally had tried to design the worst website ever I could not have come up with anything that crappy. The person who did design this system should not be working as a programmer. I'm not sure they are smart enough to even be a cashier.