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Subject:Re: Creativity or Humor From:Gurudutt Kamath/Technical Writing Centre <guruk -at- GIASBM01 -dot- VSNL -dot- NET -dot- IN> Date:Thu, 27 Mar 1997 07:56:04 +0530
Hello all
On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Barry House wrote:
> A novice and possibly timid audience can use
> a little humor to ease their fear; a more seasoned audience usually wants
> just the facts.
Maybe, cartoons and humour may be necessary for a seasoned audience to
pick up your manual (unless they really need to read the manual anyway).
> Nearly a decade ago, I was working on a manual that included a glossary of
> terms. The programming staff insisted on the following definition for
> "infinite loop": See Infinite Loop.
>
> I really don't remember the reaction of management during the review of that
> one.
Once in a print job, I goofed up and left a page blank. This would have
meant reprinting the entire set. I thought of saving the situation by
marking the page "THIS PAGE UNINTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK!" The Chief
Executive, an ex-IBMer, did not appreciate this and I re-did it. I learnt
a valuable lesson -- one of the several I learnt from this wonderful CE.
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