Re: Fw: Why do we put so many warnings in our manuals?

[letoured -at- together -dot- net]

In <200207302044 -dot- g6UKiQ208937 -at- marvin -dot- eng -dot- sun -dot- com>, on 07/30/02 
   at 01:44 PM, Janice Gelb <janiceg -at- marvin -dot- eng -dot- sun -dot- com> said:


>letoured -at- together -dot- net wrote:
>>
>> Actually in some industries the writers do have to think 
>> ahead of the user,and write accordingly -- because of the 
>> legal liabilities, the costs of equipment damage that can 
>> run into multi-millions, downtime (for machines and systems 
>> that have a value of hundreds of thousands of dollars per 
>> hour), and the possible loss of life, not to mention ethics.
>> 

>I urge those of you who've never seen them to check out 
>this link to "Scientific Truth in Product Warning Labels":

You posted a link to a humor page -- with the point being what? 

We sometimes think warnings are over done and stupid. -- But think about it --
use the classic 'hair dryer do not put in water' warning as an example;  They
are manufactured for sale around the world to people of differing education
and life experiences.  The warnings are aimed at the worst-case.

Put yourself in this example; There are still places in the US where people do
not have electricity, or generate it on their own for food preservation and
little more.  Suppose you live a 100 miles from the nearest Walmart, and on
the once a year trip to it, you had seen electric appliances but never, ever
held one much less used one. When you got to be 10, the distribution lines
came down the road and your family hooked in.  The next week, what with the
new power source, and the new electric water pump and all the hot water you
want -- you and mommy and daddy, sister and brother think it would be neat to
take a bath and wash your hair -- and you want that hair dryer for your
birthday coming up... you like about soaking in that clean hot bath for the
first time in years, and your brother is pounding on the door... for you to
finish, and your hair is wet... and the bath is one of the two places in the
house to plug the dryer in... 

Its not really unbelievable that one wouldn't know the danger now is it.  --
BTW, I just described what could take place here in the 21th century a hundred
miles or so from Philadelphia.


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