Re: Consequences of inadequate docs/training

Subject: Re: Consequences of inadequate docs/training
From: Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 04:35:14 -0800 (PST)


--- Martin Page <mpage -at- csl -dot- co -dot- uk> wrote:
>
> Surely the GIS machine should have been designed so that controllers
> couldn't call down airstrikes on themselves.
>
> We're talking about a real time, high-stress and high-fatigue situation and
> a design that's the equivalent of having the rifle muzzle swing around to
> point at the user every time the magazine empties.
>
> If you were documenting the device in question, how would you highlight this
> potentially lethal feature so that you could sleep at night?

First, I would fight like hell to have the device redesigned to be safer for
the user. Barring that, I would make damned sure they understood, in training,
how it worked and what the consequences of such a reset would be.

The documentation would have the biggest Danger Warning I could put in it.

(Oh, and I don't particularly appreciate the flippant responses some have given
this question. In my opinion, it's a serious writing/training/design issue.
This is one of those situation where you not doing your job properly--leave
your politics at the door when you take the job--can get people killed.

How would you sleep then? Huh?)

=====
Tom Murrell
mailto:tmurrell -at- columbus -dot- rr -dot- com
Personal Web Page - http://home.columbus.rr.com/murrell/index.html
Page Last Updated 03/14/02
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