Passport Numbers
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: A. Omar Baltuth
Date: Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Subject: online DS-11 preparation page
To: passportweb@state.gov
"To report technical problems with this web site, please email us at passportweb@state.gov": I've got one for you. I recently completed an application for a passport using the following ASP.
In the edit control for the serial number of an expired passport issued in 1981, I attempted to put in the number punched through all the pages of the booklet on the top edge. The number has an alphabetic character followed by six numerals, to wit, B700468. As far as I can tell, this is the "book number", which is nomenclature that only seems to be used on the web site and the forms. On the actual passport, the serial number is referred to differently. Do you call it the "book number" on the passport card? The wizard would not let me continue after entering only seven characters. I realize that current passport "book numbers" are nine digits, and that your ASP attempts to enforce validity for the current numbering system. However, it didn't object to the alphabetic character, so that was a partial accommodation. But, the absence of any instructions about what to do if the serial number of an old passport had fewer than nine digits was vexing. It wouldn't let me put in dashes or "XX", so I experimented and put two extra zeroes in. It took that. The alphabetic character followed by six digits is the number on the passport, so the ASP should have let me enter it. Enforcing strict field rules that may be invalid does nothing to help the user complete the wizard, in fact, it is an obstacle that a great number of people would not be able to figure out. Most people I've asked about this said they would give up and get a blank form and fill it out by hand. Is that what you want? I suggest that you take off the field length restriction on that edit control. At the very least, make it accept seven to nine characters to accommodate people like me who only get a passport every 28 years or so. Thanks.
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A. Omar Baltuth
