Waiting Time and User Tolerance Limit

Must identify a useability limit and upper bound on how long a user is willing to wait before getting an email address. How "frustrating the expectation is".

In a discussion with Jon Oberlander today after lectures he suggested:

1. What is the aim of the user when browsing the site?

• Users with specific aim of getting an email address and general browsers have different aims. Their user experience expectations will adjust according to their desired goals.
  
• E.g. when viewing an academics homepage, most users would be interested in finding out what research areas are, what papers are etc., not in trying to achieve commuinication with the page owner. As such, a browser will probably tolerate, not be bothered about any delays. However, when a user has specific intention to get email address(or contact site owner), they will want get information fast. They can be similar to a "spambot".
  
• Explaining why and how long user must wait for information may increase their tolerance for waiting. Incorporating something like "this is an anti-spam measure ... it will take XXX seconds for the email address to appear" this into the design may increase useability.

2. Imperical research: how long is a user willing to wait before their expectations are frustated:

• check Nelson's usit column. Although may not have publish figures, may hint to sources of primary research that's uncited!
• Google keywords: latencies, user tolerance