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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?"

9 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. End-User License Agreements by identity0 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "By clicking 'I Agree' below, you agree to the following terms..."

    Seriously, does anyone read the full text of EULAs? They're a complete joke. I've heard there's a website that has a whole bunch of strange EULAs on display..

    1. Re:End-User License Agreements by longbottle · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You never found the loophole? My friend used to open those with a letter opener so he didn't break the seal. That way, he never technically agreed to anything... at least until he got to read it.

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it!
    2. Re:End-User License Agreements by Dave2+Wickham · · Score: 3, Interesting

      That is still breaking the seal, I believe.

    3. Re:End-User License Agreements by longbottle · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Perhaps in a technical sense, yes. But I think if it came down to demonstrating it in a courtroom, he'd have a fighting chance.

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it!
  2. Re:From Jay Leno's Headlines: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Where the hell did my opening quotation marks go?

  3. Re:quick scan through the kitchen gives me... by gmhowell · · Score: 2, Interesting

    IIRC, teflon fumes can be poisonous to birds. My parents were ditching their teflon stuff anyway, but when they got a Double Yellow Amazon Parrot (now there's a fucking bird I'd like to nail to a perch) they ditched the rest.

    --
    Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  4. Re:iPod by TheLink · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yeah you can't really use the iPod for stealing music.

    Copying != stealing.

    If copying = stealing, you won't need copyright law - there are plenty of theft and property laws to deal with it. Shoplifting comes under Theft law. Copying comes under Copyright law.

    Don't let the Corporates brainwash you and your friends into believing that copying is stealing.

    Sure copying is illegal in some cases. But if the Corporates succeed in brainwashing enough people, then copying would then be illegal in most cases.

    --
  5. Do Not Use While Sleeping by derfla8 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    On a hair blow dryer. A little research found that a company was sued when a guy used his hair dryer to keep himself warm by turning it on and throwing it in his blankets. He fell asleep and became crispy after the fire that started. Amazing, the moron won.

    I say warnings like this should be omitted on purpose so that people without this common sense are weeded out of the gene pool.

  6. Re:quick scan through the kitchen gives me... by Mantorp · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's called teflon flu and happens when you heat teflon to temperatures way too high for normal cooking, of course duPont will tell you it's a myth.