PayPal Frustrations

Paul and Newspapergirl, I totally agree with you regarding PayPal and their practices and how they just might run into a lawsuit. I too find it cumbersome to change funding source each time I use PayPal, it would be much more user friendly to have a simple drop down that allowed ME to choose QUICKLY.

On the topic of PayPal frustrations - the slowness of the PayPal interface has almost turned me away from using the service alltogether. What should take 5 to 10 seconds often takes 30 to 45, much to long - the "loading" screen alone typically takes 10 to 15 seconds.

The new dashboard that PayPal just released adds extra steps to common functions like withdrawing money, searching history, etc. The best solution as I see it would be to allow each customer to create their own customized dashboard with elements that are suited for their business and account. So few web interfaces allow me, the user, to use the site how I want to use the site - instead they force some other persons ideal on me.

Let's look at iGoogle - a great example of a customized dashboard that suits me and how I want to manage information. Omniture's SiteCatalyst is another great example of allowing users to create meaningful and customized dashboards.

I hope designers and UI engineers the word over will allow technology to serve us and not us the technology. I see this as a fundamental shift in how we need to view technology. The days of being slaves to technology need to end, the days of a man walking to his car for lunch while checking is iPhone for email need to end.

Be human, be real, don't be a slave to technology, harness it to make you life better, simpler an more efficient.