Janet Collins
Billy MDo You Read Manuals?
September 29th 2008 09:41
One of my pet hates has got to be reading a manual, whether it be for a computer, a television, a mobile phone or a microwave. I loathe having to waste so much time wading through masses of instructions to find out how to work something.
I know there are many people who thrive on the process of finding out everything about their new household purchase or gadget. Not me. What I do know is that I am not alone in this.
The trouble is sometimes the manual will call a particular function something quite different to what you may be looking up. Sometimes, the way the instructions are worded are so hard to understand and sometimes, they leave a step of the process out and this leads to hours of frustration trying to program something or to even work it..
Why don’t all the companies manufacturing all these things today get together and use the same formula for what you want to do. Take for example, microwave ovens. Whenever I am at the home of a relative, friend or colleague and attempt to help them in the kitchen, I almost always have great difficulty with the microwave oven. No microwave oven seems to operate the same as my own and I very rarely seem to come across any two that seem to work the same.
This means lots of time is wasted – not to say for the frustration it causes – and in the end I feel more of a burden than a help. Do these companies have different settings and codes for every single model they bring out? Wouldn’t it just be much simpler for an international code for all of them?
I remember a few years ago when I had to resort to paying someone to reprogram my television when for some unknown reason all my channels disappeared. After two days of religiously following the instructions in the manual, I could not cope anymore.T he problem wasn’t with me as it turned out. They had omitted a step in the procedure in the manual.
It’s about time don’t you think that a formula for the programming of all gadgets came into practice – internationally. It would be in these companies’ interests as much as it would be in mine. I could buy another brand and not have to think of the consequences of finding out how to work it. Then, manuals would just be very simple booklets to refer to when we are doing somthing out of the ordinary.
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
I'm a great fiddler, do it yourselfer, not always wisely so I might add.
Things such as you suggest are the things that dreams are made of, but you do have my sympathies, and as you may already have guessed patience does not seem to have any place in my mental functions.
I constantly use the functions which I discover by chance and necessity and have absolutely no desire to further my skills, no matter how useful other things are.
No doubt you've guessed by now I am proficient with the bare essentials and skip the rest, generally I find alternative ways around doing things and find most of the recommended skills often all but useless, just time consuming and not nearly so efficient as claimed.
I must admit though that others often produce a better looking product (referring to computers now, but I think it must take an inordinate amount of time to bring these skills into play). I never wanted to be a typist of any description but now we are all forced to be one, sadly.
It is surprising how I manage to use the various appliances I have around the house.
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
You seem to loathe the manuals more than I do. I do refer to them but only if I really really have to - only when I can't operate things at all. And I hate it when someone asks "haven't you read the manual?".
Thanks for the comment.
Janet
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I am the same with recipes.
My success is limited.
Michaelie
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I am glad I am not the only one!
Thanks for the comment.
Janet