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Subject:Re: Most illogical documentation From:Richard Lewis <tech44writer -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:Nancy Allison <maker -at- verizon -dot- net>, techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:00:49 -0700 (PDT)
I was control tower operator (air traffic controller) when I was in the Air Force. We worked off of some FAA manuals. Different types of aircraft fly different patterns as they approach an airport: Fighters spiral down from higher altitudes, bombers and big cargo planes fly long straight-in patterns (like your plane does when you fly commercial), and one or two propeller engine planes often fly an L angle before the turn for a short final approach. (Add on top of this, these plans all fly radically different air speeds.)
The manuals were great at discussing separations between planes flying the same traffic pattern, but they made no mention of how to separate a variety of aircraft flying different and conflicting traffic patterns - the stuff that used to make the hair on our necks stand on end! In such circumstances (they occured frequently), it was all gut instinct.
I have read criticism of Tech Writers stating that they often tend to glance over or forget about the really hard-to-handle stuff. The FAA Air Traffic Controller manuals are a good example.
Richard Lewis
"When in Doubt, Roger Out"
Nancy Allison <maker -at- verizon -dot- net> wrote:
This seems a Friday-ish topic for tech writers.
What is the most illogical bit of tech writing you've seen?
The earliest, and still one of the best, that I've come across was a passage about how to open the box. You could only have opened the manual if you had opened the packing box beforehand. (Manuals were not handed out like candy by the sales people, either -- too expensive. So really, honestly, if you were reading that page, you'd already opened the box.)
It even had a picture of the flaps of the box being opened and an arrow showing that the stuff had to come UP out of the TOP of the box, which is where the flaps were OPEN.
Naturally, I personally have never written anything quite that illogical, not even under duress! I swear!
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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
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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