Users of information technology (IT) frequently encounter "exception messages" during their interactions with computing systems. Exception messages are important points of communication with users of IT and are similar in purpose to warning messages that appear on consumer products and equipment (e.g., cigarettes, power tools, etc.), in various work environments (e.g., around machinery), and on chemicals. This study reviews the normative elements and information that are included in product, chemical, and environment warnings and proposes that these elements and information should also be included in IT exception messages. Also reported are the results of an investigation of a sample of exception messages to determine their degree of compliance with the proposed elements. Results indicate that, relative to normative prescriptions established in the literature on warnings, IT exception messages lack descriptive content
