FW: Humor vs. Tech Pubs

[Dave Hollenbeck <dhollenbeck -at- DIEHLGRAPHSOFT -dot- COM>]

I am offended at the reference to pornography (XXX) in this posting!  


Not really,  but if an imaginary cat can get so many feathers ruffled,  why can't this?  People can take things way too literally, in my opinion. I don't think the original intent of this thread was to see if putting off-color or insulting jokes in manuals, etc. is appropriate, but just whether to put something lightly humorous  and/or encouraging to keep the reader from feeling like reading the manual is as difficult as using the software, appliance or what have you, which, in many cases, it is. In many cases, it doesn't hurt to empathize a little with your reader using humor.

IMHO,  the cat story is great because nothing happened to a real cat. It is memorable and clearly gets the point across. Even if I actually had actually been hit by lightning,  I could understand the humor and image the commercial is making, it might even give me a really good reason to try it.  Would you be equally offended if the bolt of lightning gave super powers instead of intense thirst?  The person who was actually hit by lightning didn't get super powers. As for the bugs, how many can say they didn't take some kind of pleasure in squishing or frying a bug in their youth?  You may feel a little bit bad about it now, but it was really fun then! Too many people are taking this stuff too seriously.  

And no I have never tortured a cat,  I actually had one in the family for nearly 18 years that was great to be around.

Dave Hollenbeck
We're just recycled history machines
Cavemen in faded blue jeans


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From:  Suzette Seveny [SMTP:sseveny -at- PETVALU -dot- COM]
Sent:  Tuesday, June 16, 1998 2:57 PM
To:  TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject:  Re: Humor vs. Tech Pubs

I wasn't going to get into this one, but here goes:
I very strongly disagree with trying to inject humour into technical publications, because of the risk of offending somebody.  I was a trainer for many years, and used humour (usually successfully) in that forum.  That worked, because I met my audience, and could "feel" them.  They gauged the amount and type of humour that was acceptable.
In creating end-user and technical documentation, I don't always know my audience intimately.  What I do know is, they are a diverse and multicultural community with a range of personalities and senses of humour.  I try not to make my docs too dry and boring, but I will not try to inject humour.  For myself, what most people seem to find funny, I often find humourless or disgusting.  On the other hand, what I find funny sometimes would puzzle some people for days.
I often turn my radio off during "funny" commercials because I think they're stupid.  I wouldn't want somebody to feel that way about my manuals.  I have never bought a book called "Idiots Guide to XXX" or "XXX for Dummies" (although more because they're usually too basic for the information I seek".  I am unqualified to comment on their effectiveness, but users "choose" to buy these books; they're on the shelf beside many others on the same topic.  My users have no choice - they get my manuals.
The bottom line is - I will err on the side of conservatism and not risk offending anyone.
Suzette
PS  to Lisa C.:  Too bad your physics teacher used a cat - mine demonstrated the same theory in Grade 11, with a ball on the end of a string.  I also never forgot it - it hit me!
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