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I think part of the problem is that advances in technology and manufacturing processes during the last two to three decades have made a whole range of what would have once been considered rather expensive and complicated devices available to the average consumer. For instance, years ago (and still, today), a lot of people would use a simple box camera with a fixed focus lens to shoot their family pictures. With a little instruction, they'd drop in a film cartridge, point and shoot, then drop the film cartridge off at the drugstore. It was cheap, and almost idiot proof. For those who could afford it and wanted to pursue the more serious aspects of photography, more expensive SLRs, lenses, and other gadgets were available. Such consumers could buy those and then *proactively* learn how to use them properly, given time and experience.
Today, you've got the same kinds of people that once bought the box cameras buying gadgets equipped with hundreds of functions and perhaps thousands of ways of using them. Given that complexity, a simple 10 or 20 page pamphlet isn't going to teach you everything you can do with such devices, illustrated or not. It's going to take a lot of information to do so properly. But even if you provide such documentation in a clear and relatively concise manner, put together using all your technical writing know-how, you're still going to find a lot of consumers that just don't have the patience to seek out the information they need in that documentation as part of the process of learning how to use their new gadgets. Yet the same consumers will be some of the first to flock to the stores and wait in long lines when a highly anticipated gadget comes to market (ah, the hype). And when their new gadget turns into an expensive paper weight, they'll also be some of the first to
complain loudly. If it were me wearing their shoes, I'd be buying the simple box camera gadget, sure to provide some relatively quick gratification, while saving a healthy chunk of change to boot.
Again, what many don't realize or don't want to realize is that like the more complex tasks they've had to take time to learn how to do (e.g., driving a car), they've now easy access to technology that used to be considered "rocket science." Truth be told, it still is rocket science in a certain kind of way. And it's probably going to be only those who are willing to extend some time and effort and learn how use that science that will find the "gratification" they seek.
...or maybe not. A lot of folks can probably say they've got a whole shelf full of expensive paper weights that got tossed there when they outlived their usefulness (or interest).
jan cohen, technologically non-challenged, one-time student of Christopher Lasch.
Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> wrote: I just had this discussion on a nonprofessional basis with my
wife. We're shopping for appliances for our new home and
she keeps showing me brochures of wall ovens with controls
that seem better suited to the starship Enterprise. I keep
telling her I want an oven with a dial that goes from off to
the maximum temperature, a button to turn the light on and
off and some simple way of activating the self-clean cycle
(I used to have just such an oven in my kitchen in the 80's).
It seems that such ovens are no longer even made.
Also, I'm still on the lookout for a washer and dryer that
has controls with some sort of "stupid husband mode"
that I can just set for whites, darks and colors and be
done with it. Also seems to have gone the way of the
manual oven.
Gene Kim-Eng
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Borokowski"
> Any time I see a cell phone or digital camera that comes with 250 page
> manual, I want to scream. This is normal people we're talking about
> using this product. Not all of them are going to take the time to read
> about what should be mostly an intuitive, known interface (camera) and
> a small portion new changes to that existing framework.
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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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