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Linda Stark wonders: <<Is it common to start assembly instructions for
components of a very large tool with: 1. Locate six screws.... 2. Locate two
O-rings. Grease them with....>>
Given that this follows a "parts list", it seems a bit redundant, and I
don't recall seeing this kind of instruction outside a cookbook. There,
you'll sometimes see a phrase such as "Take 3 of the 6 eggs we asked you to
have ready, and do something complicated with them." Even then, "locate"
doesn't seem to be the best word, since the actual meaning is "obtain" or
"make ready" or "grab them now so they don't escape".
I can see this kind of instruction as being very useful at the beginning of
a long procedure ("before starting, make sure you have 6 hex nuts") or at an
intermediate point where the reader must actually have the parts ready to
hand ("separate the hex nuts and bolts out of the bag of 2000 miscellaneous
fasteners that we provided") to ensure that the step goes smoothly.
Otherwise, I don't see much value to it.
--Geoff Hart, geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
580 boul. St-Jean
Pointe-Claire, Que., H9R 3J9 Canada
"User's advocate" online monthly at
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Hofstadter's Law--"The time and effort required to complete a project are
always more than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's
Law."
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