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--- Simon North <Simon -dot- North -at- synopsys -dot- com> wrote:
>
> Why not legislate the content and existence? ... as long as it
> doesn't become a constraint.
Simon, I don't know how legislation works where you live, but where I live, it would
not only become a constraint, it would become a mind boggling boondoggle. I can just
imagine the lobbiests. We would have mandates for the grade level of the reading
audience, required sections with all the language spelled out in the legislation.
And there would be the tax incentives for using Arial, er No, after Sept. 11th, it
would be Times New Roman or New York (for you Maccies). Information Mapping would
either be required or prohibited, and some states will go the opposite of their
neighbors just for the fun of it.
And attached to all of this would be a highway, an aircraft carrier, a troop
transport, a nuclear power plant, and curb cutouts. I shudder to think of the chaos
that would result from legislated requirements for user documentation. And
everything would be well-meaning.
> A team of experienced tech writers, academics and pubs
> specialists (which it was my great honor and pleasure to be a
> part of) got together several years ago and drafted the Dutch
> national standard
> NEN 5509, "User manuals; Contents, structure, formulation and
> presentation". We felt we had to establish a *minimum*
> description of acceptable content, style and presentation. We
> also specified that the user documentation had to be present at
> the point of sale and as such formed part of the product.
Good for you. I hope it works out for you.
Above I gave the American liberal nightmare scenario. Here is the nightmare
conservative scenario. First, you can't write anything about evolution; the very
word is banned. Processes cannot abort under any circumstances whatsoever. Humor? I
don't think so. Wall-to-wall text required. No symbols and no graphics; too big a
chance for satanism or pornography to creep in, not to mention subliminal signals.
Then there is the whole issue of government regulation of private enterprise. So tax
breaks would be required to offset the expenses of this legislation. The Defense
industries would need to be exempted; same for Homeland Security because we cannot
have our hands tied when we're dealing with terrorists. In fact, in the name of
Homeland Security all user documentation must be submitted to a Federal Panel which
is tasked to ensure that no security leaks find their way into the documentation.
And we would need to add three aircraft carriers, a division of tanks, a fleet of
troop carriers, a highway in California, and special electoral help for Florida.
Plus we have to restrict foreign aid to nations that support terrorism or banana
quotas, and we may even secede from the UN (anybody need a tall building in New
York?).
So, I'm sorry but I just don't see legislating the content of technical
documentation being workable in the USA, at least not until there is regime change
somewhere or other.
(In case anyone didn't notice, my comments are attempted satire. Fortunately,
attempted satire is only a misdemeanor in this state. <g>)
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