Re: Chat: Helpful error messages

Subject: Re: Chat: Helpful error messages
From: Kathleen Padova <kpadova -at- ASICENTRAL -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 14:11:00 -0500

I found the original posting lurking around my mailbox.


______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
Subject: Re: Chat: Helpful error messages
Author: GDDREW -at- SMTP (Gregory D Drew) {gddrew -at- JUNO -dot- COM} at MHS
Date: 3/6/97 9:50 PM


Reminds me of one of the early introductions of "Tina the Brittle Tech
Writer" in the Dilbert comic strips. The Boss tells her that she has to
get the user guide done when the software code hasn't even been written
yet. When she objects, the Boss tells her to "make logical guesses"
(sound familiar??). Thus she writes

"If you press any key, your computer will crash. If you call our
technical support
department, we'll blame Microsoft."

Greg Drew


On Tue, 4 Mar 1997 11:22:57 -0600 geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA writes:
> In a meeting today to get some new user documentation
> rolling, I raised the topic of how cryptic some of the
> error messages were. The junior programmer quickly agreed
> that some of them needed work, then suggested that we
> should just call them "general protection faults" and let
> the users blame Microsoft. An excellent thought... hope
> some of you dealing with cryptic error messages can put
> this one to good use.
>
> --Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
> Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.
>
> TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a
>message
>to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send
>commands
> to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
> Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
>browse the archives at
>http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
> Send list questions or problems to the listowner at
>

TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html

Forward item:
---------------------------- Forwarded with Changes ---------------------------
From: GDDREW -at- SMTP (Gregory D Drew) {gddrew -at- JUNO -dot- COM} at MHS
Date: 3/6/97 9:50PM -0800
*To: TECHWR-L -at- SMTP {TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU} at MHS
Subject: Re: Chat: Helpful error messages
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html


Previous by Author: Re: Promo Materials
Next by Author: Internet Resource for Technical Communicators site
Previous by Thread: Re: Chat: Helpful error messages
Next by Thread: typos etc. - non-flame


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads