For all of Apple's usability efforts, one department seems to have missed the company-wide memo sent out 30+ years ago. Under no circumstances should a user be presented with a message like this. If the system knows enough to display an error number, it can certainly cross-reference that into a human-consumable message. (FYI: I was attempting to rename a folder that was being copied.)
On top of all that, what could a negative number in an error message possibly imply? Shouldn't a negative error indicate a good thing?
Keep these coming. Send them to us via Twitter or Facebook using the hastag #wtfUX or email them to: wtfux@uxmag.com with "#wtfUX" in the subject line. Include as much context as you can, so we get a full understanding of what the f%*k went wrong. Image of worm in apple courtesy Shutterstock.
Getting started in UX
Our contributors and staff recommend these articles on for developing an understanding of experience design and jumpstarting your career.