NYS opened a vaccine registration site for people of my parents' age. They have a slow, rural internet connection... so two hours ago, I got the call. Game on.

It didn't have to be like this.

Okay, let's do this. I feel all the anticipation of getting my browser ready for Foo Fighters presale. Eligible for vaccination? Yes. Ready to find a site? Yes.

And the website's down.

I switched browsers. Ready to find a vaccination site? Yes.
I picked a date with availability... only to have it evaporate.
I picked a date with availability... only to have it evaporate... again.
And again and again, and this is why I wear a mouthguard at night.

FINALLY! I got a vaccination slot for my Dad! We looked out far for a date with 100+ slots. Okay, time to fill in the address... but hold up.

It says my parents' ZIP code is invalid, despite already validating it by autofilling their town.

And the site timed out.

Once more into the fray. Yes, eligible. Yes, find a site. YES! A date with availability! Name, address... again, the error message says the ZIP code is invalid.

But oh hey, now there's a new field! County! I fill that in, and now the ZIP code works. On to screening questions!

And it stopped connecting to the server.
We were so close.
Hope shouldn't feel so precarious.

I can't imagine how you do this if you don't have a Gen X kid with a fast internet connection who learned determination by growing up with dial-up.

Okay. Back at it. Found a date, got a time, made it to the questions... and there's a new error message.

"Recipient state must by 60 characters in length."

AYFKM. Trying again.

Finally, after about an hour... my Dad has an appointment. On to my Mom.

These error messages were atrocious, but I know they're the work of an overtaxed state IT department that had to scramble because a federal administration abdicated responsibility.

20 years ago, in my first job as a content strategist, I wrote error messaging for Lotus. It had to be clear, specific, and actionable.

Tonight I learned some clear, specific actions that may be useful if you're trying to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine for yourself or a parent:

Before trying to grab an appointment, see how many are available on that date. NYS shows this info on the page that lists upcoming dates. After trying for first available on dates with only a handful of appointments, I started looking out for dates with 100+ appointment slots.

If the site is crashing in Chrome, try another browser. For awhile, I was using multiple browsers and the platform didn't kick me off. YMMV, but this is what worked for me.

If the ZIP code shows as invalid, check to see if a new field has popped up for the county. (Seriously.) Select the county--and then make sure the box for mobile phone hasn't gotten unchecked. (Seriously.)

And stay the course. Over the coming months, and over the time you'll spend trying to sign up for a vaccine.

And next time, please, just give Ticketmaster the contract for building the state vaccination registration sites.