Re: [Easter ramblings]

anon wrote:
> 
> "G|_|Y |\/|AC0|\|" <[email protected]> wrote in message 
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> Blammo wrote...
>>
>>> I recently received an eMail informing me: "your contact form on this 
>>> page
>>> didn't work, it said such-and-such error", and I replied: "I know, it
>>> states that it doesn't work yet right at the top of that page. Since you
>>> are probably the only one to go to that page, I figured that it wasn't a
>>> priority.", and then I rambled on about how no matter what I write or 
>>> how
>>> clearly I write it, people still won't read it or "see" it.
>>
>> I have sat next to users looking at a screen that says "press C key
>> to continue" and had this conversation:
>>
>> "OK, now read the screen"
>>
>> "OK, I read it.  Now what do I do?"
>>
>> "Do you want to ... now this is just a wild guess now .. continue?"
>>
>> "Yes. How do I do that?"
>>
>> "What does it say on the screen in front of you?"
>>
>> "[monotone voice]  "press C key to continue."
>>
>> "OK, so what do you do next?"
>>
>> "That's what I am asking you!"
>>
>> "Do what it says to do on your computer screen."
>>
>> "What does it say for me to do?"
>>
>> ...and so on.  Some people refuse to read things,
>> others will read, but refuse to comprehend.
>>
>> And, no, this person is not impaired or handicapped.
>> He is able to carry on an intelligent discussion about
>> a boating magazine article, and has a degree.
>>
>>
> 
> 
> My gut feeling is that people are used to 'reading' paper pages - when 
> the thing they are reading says "to continue press C" that does not 
> 'compute' as an actual 'directive'.
> 
> Like reading too many mystery stories where the characters are giving 
> directions but the reader is not 'involved' in the story.
> 
> Now reading RECIPES, that is another matter entirely.
> 
> I think that people are attuned to following SPOKEN directives but not 
> directives on a page (screen or paper.)
> 
> This is part of the growing up/learning experience - do what someone 
> SAYS , follow traffic directives, ignore all else.
> 
> Yes, I have had the same "what does the screen say---" experience.
> 

Some examples of "what does the screen say---" experiences":

Wait till your eight year old comes running into the living room, 
yelling, daddy daddy, what does this mean, formatting drive c?

Or that phone call from the elderly lady at the Dell help desk: "Sir, I 
do not understand this, who is general failure and why does he require 
my attention?"

The spoken directives will be prompt I guess.