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Silly Product Instructions?

Posted by Cliff on from the a-techincal-writer's-nightmare dept.

canfirman asks: "Not exactly a serious question, but maybe good for a laugh: Our company is bringing in new printers into the office, and I noticed that the on-screen instructions state, 'Do not pull pages until after the printer has finished its job'. I thought this would be a redundant instruction (kinda like, 'Don't run with scissors'), but it got me thinking - what are some of the dumbest instructions you have ever seen on a piece of software, hardware, or appliance?"

4 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. Lots of dumb instructions by ninja0 · · Score: 0, Informative

    Dumb warning and instructions

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    --If the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.
  2. HP Lasers w/Duplexers by SpoonDog_SVT · · Score: 5, Informative
    HP's new laser printers with duplexers actually spit the page out partway before reversing direction and pulling them back into the paper path. So the OP's "do not pull pages until job is done" is actually prudent.

    We have one of these types of printers (HP LJ 4600DN) in my classroom, and when the kids pull pages of duplex jobs early (before they actually get spit into the finished tray), then Bad Things Happen(tm).

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    "Sometimes the only thing left to say is 'Oops'" -- debbers
  3. Re:neighbor's house by Hamster+Of+Death · · Score: 3, Informative

    At least credit the source.

    The Simpsons

  4. Re:Hitachi electric drill... by grammar+nazi · · Score: 2, Informative

    China booklets are great! I bought a chinese pellet gun when i was a kid. The manual warns, "Do not shoot the gun at the people," and later states, "The gun is for target practice and the killing of the rats.".

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    Keeping /. free of grammatical errors for ~5 years.