[lotharbot]

There shouldn't be a question if it's only going to repeat what your dialog options say -- you don't ask "do you want to save?", you just put up "save file", "exit without saving", or "return to program" without any question at all.

Also, yes/no/cancel are only "effortless" to understand if you read the question first (not everyone does that) and if the question is simple.

An example of doing it wrong: my classroom had an unstable piece of software that would occasionally pop up a long error message that asked "do you wish to continue?" at the end; students wouldn't read the whole thing, but would just click "no", which closed the software.

If the same popup had the error message and then buttons marked "continue" or "close program", it would have been far more straightforward.

[dmckeon]

Similar issue: dialog boxes which ask a question using words like cancel, continue, yes, no, or okay, when the question is followed by buttons using similar or identical words, but whose meanings are the opposite of the question.

Example from a commercial site:

    Are you sure you want to cancel the changes you made?

    [ ] OK   [ ] Cancel

To clarify, 'OK' is "cancel the changes" whereas 'cancel' is "cancel the cancel" :-(

If the dialog question were worded as:

    Do you want to apply the changes you made?

    [ ] OK   [ ] Cancel

with the appropriate logic reversal, it would have been clear.

I view sites with issues like this as I would a corporate office with damaged or out-dated signage - a hint that the products or services offered inside are unlikely to be any better in quality.