nus-se-bot
commented
6 months ago Team's Response
Thank you for your bug report. Unfortunately, considering our target users and use case (NUS computer science students storing contact information of their courseMates), it is certain that phone numbers, if any, would be Singapore phone numbers (with country code +65). Furthermore, users would be able to input country codes by omitting the + sign and it does not cause ambiguity.
Therefore, we are marking this bug as not in scope while downgrading its severity to "Low".
Items for the Tester to Verify
:question: Issue response
Team chose [response.NotInScope]
- [x] I disagree
Reason for disagreement: I disagree with the development team’s classification of this bug as "NotInScope" and their assertion that it involves only Singapore phone numbers. This perspective overlooks a significant and diverse subset of the target user base: international students at NUS. These students are equally likely to maintain contact numbers from their home countries, especially in a university setting that promotes a global academic community.
The inability of the application to accept phone numbers with country codes (+ sign) directly impacts these international students, who may need to input and manage contacts using their original country codes. This is not just a minor oversight but a fundamental functionality issue that restricts the usability of the application for a considerable portion of its intended users. Therefore, maintaining that this feature is out of scope does not align with the inclusive and comprehensive design philosophy that should characterize an application meant for a diverse academic environment like NUS.
Moreover, the suggestion that users omit the + sign when entering country codes introduces ambiguity and potential errors in data handling and recognition. It is standard practice in many user interfaces to accept the + sign as part of an international phone number, ensuring clarity and reducing the risk of miscommunication or incorrect data entry.
## :question: Issue severity Team chose [`severity.Low`] Originally [`severity.Medium`] - [x] I disagree **Reason for disagreement:** I also disagree with the decision to downgrade the severity of this bug to "Low." Given that NUS hosts a substantial number of international students, the inability to accurately and easily input international phone numbers with their correct format (including the + sign) can severely hinder communication and data accuracy. This bug does not merely represent a minor inconvenience but a significant barrier for international students relying on the application to manage contact information effectively. The presence of international phone numbers is a common scenario, not an edge case, in a university setting. Therefore, the bug should be classified at least as "Medium" severity because it affects the core functionality of contact management for a notable segment of the user base. The exclusion of the + sign in phone numbers compromises the integrity and usability of the data, potentially leading to confusion or errors in communication—issues that are far from trivial.
Inputs of phone numbers with country codes is blocked which is very common as the students could have phone numbers of different countries
Steps to reproduce: Command to enter: add John Doe -e johndoe@example.com -p +6587654321 -t johndoe -s Leadership -s C++