Re: Most embarasssing error (was Finding errors in manuals)

[Laura Lemay <lemay-lists1 -at- lauralemay -dot- com>]

Embarrassing errors?  I have a doozy.

I used to write third-party, buy-in-a-bookstore computer books.  In  
1996 I signed up to write a book about Java -- right as Java was  
first released.  As I wrote the book it became apparent that Java was  
going to be huge, and that my book was going to be one of the very  
first on the market about it.  Every week, it seemed, the numbers for  
the first printing got larger and larger, my publisher put more and  
more resources were put on the project to help me finish it on time.   
No pressure!

At the last minute just before we went to press, as I was doing the  
last bit of review and checking and re-checking of the ms, I  
accidentally deleted a brace in a code sample.  On page 14.  In the  
very first example, the Hello World, the simplest example you use to  
see if you're doing everything right so far.   Without the brace, the  
example wouldn't compile.   arrrggghhhh.

The first printing was 150,000 copies.   I had four copyeditors  
working on that book with me but none of them caught the error,  
because it was in code.  I didn't realize it was there until the book  
was shipping and I started to get the email.

Lots of email.  Lots and lots of email.  My email address was in the  
book.  "Please send me email if you have comments."  We fixed the  
error in the second printing, but TO THIS DAY I still get email.    
"Do you know that there's an error in the Hello World on page 14 of  
your Java book?"

Yes.  Oh, yes, I know.  On my gravestone, they will write "Laura  
Lemay:  Screwed Up Page 14."

Laura
hello, world

-- 
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Laura Lemay     Killer of Trees     lemay % lne.com    lemay % gmail.com
http://www.lauralemay.com                     http://blog.lauralemay.com
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^


On May 17, 2007, at 3:09 PM, V. Camgros wrote:

> At the risk of flooding the list and annoying the mods, my  
> contributions to the list of shame:
>
> During a walk-through/acceptance test for a military contract  
> technical manual, our Navy captain reviewer took one look at the  
> COVER of a manual and said "I'm afraid I'm just going to have to  
> reject these out of hand."
>
> During the rush to create a cover for a meticulously written  
> manual, one of us had blithely typed "Department of the Army".
>
> Ooops.
>
> Strangely, this second one is another cover. My quality in tech  
> pubs instructor stressed the elusive nature of errors  by telling  
> of a time when one of her (staff's, I think) manuals went out with  
> a 60-point IMB on the cover.
>
> She worked for that large blue mainframe company.
>
> We've all done them. If you say you haven't, you're either fibbing  
> or living on a large river in Egypt!
>
> regards,
> Vickie

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help & Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help & Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.