RE: Finding errors in manuals?

Subject: RE: Finding errors in manuals?
From: "Gordon McLean" <Gordon -dot- McLean -at- GrahamTechnology -dot- com>
To: "'TECHWR-L'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 13:53:35 +0100

"Perfection is never appreciated"

Very true. I'm entirely under appreciated!

(What? It's Friday!)

Back at Dr.Solomons we had a deliberate error in our Virus Encyclopedia. An
entry named "Rubber Chicken" which referenced an entry named "Custard Pie"
which referenced an entry named "Rubber Chicken". Silly? Yes. Handy when
someone decided to copy and repost our copyrighted info? HELL YES!! ;-)

Best unintentional error was the line "For developers who use hash...".

(hash being a local slang word for the waccy-baccy)

Gordon

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Dori Green
Sent: 18 May 2007 13:36
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Finding errors in manuals?

My work is reviewed and approved by SMEs, then by managers. Then it's easy
prey for users, internal auditors, and third-party auditors -- as well as
the occasional FDA, USDA, or OSHA inspector. They find everything from
picky stylistic disagreements to "oops, we meant to implement that system
but never quite got around to it..."

Here's the trick I learned in college: always include a few harmless errors
so the professor doesn't dig deeper to discover that the entire foundation
of the logic in your reasoning is fatally flawed.

Authentic Navaho blankets contain a tiny error somewhere so the gods won't
get jealous.

Perfection is never appreciated, so don't yourself up beat.

Dori Green
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.3/809 - Release Date: 17/05/2007
17:18



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RE: Finding errors in manuals?: From: Dori Green

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