This forum is for the discussion of the business and craft of writing help. For example writing style, choices of HTML Help or WinHelp or browser-based and so on...
This appeared in Michael Quinion's World Wide Words newsletter today:
"I'm a technical writer," e-mailed Jon Voskuil. "This instruction in one of my user guides managed to make it through five reviews before one of the engineers caught it:"
Be sure to place the document back on the platform promptly when the screen asks you to do so.
If the Placement Timeout (default 5 seconds) expires before you do, the system will not be able to read the chip successfully.
Tim Green wrote:From a leaflet delivered with a hard drive:
"Instructions for installing the drive can be found in the file readme.txt stored on the hard drive."
Hi Tim,
I purchased a Bosch shredder for the garden rubbish. Removing it from the box was extremely difficult and I cut my hand on some sharp hidden clips. There were no warnings on the box.
In a plastic bag inside the shredder was a leaflet " TAKE CARE - SHARP EDGES: How to unpack your new shredder".
"To assemble Japanese bicycle require great peace of mind."
From the assembly manual for a child's bicycle, as reported in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", by Robert M. Pirsig (copyright 1973 or so). I like to chant this a few times before attempting to assemble anything from a kit. Helps with software installations, too.