Tony Duell wrote:
The one that drives me mad (and it's in some
classic computer manuals
too) is 'This operation eequires special tools and should be entrusted to
your dealer'. Darn it, I don;'t buy a service manaul to tell me to go to
a service engineer. I probably have the tools or could make them. I want
to be told how to do the job, _I'll_ decide whether or not I can actually
do it.
I agree.
But I have written some technical manuals for machines (not computers,
but machine tool) and used a similar phrase. The reason was because
there were several subtle options, and I *really* wanted to know what
was going on in the field. My assumption is that the customer is close
to our service department and so when he needs help, I will be there
too... The next revision of the manual might have more information. That
might be due to customer and field service feedback.
The problem is what happens in 30 years when I am long since retired.
Then Tony will curse me because his #7 MINSTER OBS doesn't stamp out the
next widget he needs.
-chuck