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> Well, others have pointed out that the first place
> winner is a hoax, but
> the woman who sued McDonal's really was injured,
> recieving burns that
> required skin grafts, when she spilled the coffee
> that McDonald's knew was dangerously hot.
I think that case was an excellent example of just how
stupid the average human really is. And I'll admit,
I'm just as stupid, and I'll wager a small fortune
that everyone else on the planet is just as stupid as
well.
The human brain has a tendency to shut off or dumb
down when tasked with familiar situations. For
example, how many guys get repeatedly chewed out for
leaving the toilet seat up? Or how many times have you
lost your glasses when you placed them on your head?
Or powered down your computer when you KNEW you had
one more thing to take care of? The list goes on and
on.
I have to admit, I was disgusted but not surprised
that the woman won. Really, it's incredibly stupid to
place a flimsy cup of liquid you KNOW to be hot (not
to mention liquid that stains) between your legs when
driving a car. But, between lawyers and facts
(abnormally high brew temperatures and no visible
warning on the cup, though, DUH!) I knew she'd win.
This should be a constant reminder to all tech writers
to NEVER assume a user knows something. If a human
being who is mentally capable of getting a driver's
license (which we KNOW required TREMENDOUS brain power
to do), that person should also be smart enough to
equate hot liquid, plus crotch, plus moving vehicle,
plus non-rigid container, to a bad idea. Therefore, we
should try to avoid assumptions in all we document for
our users.
After all, we're all stupid hairless apes. Let's help
each other out!
=====
Goober Writer
(because life is too short to be inept)
"As soon as you hear the phrase "studies show",
immediately put a hand on your wallet and cover your groin."
-- Geoff Hart
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