"I've got a good idea," NO YOU DON'T!

Gerald C Koch · Jun 20, 2016

Just read the fourth post today from people who have gotten into trouble for not reading directions. Has this begun to be endemic to APUG or has common sense just left us for the solstice. I won't mention any specifics in order to protect the guilty. Some time ago I gently chided a poster for doing this only to get an angry reply that "he prided himself in being able to do things without help. "Pride goeth ..."

markbarendt · Jun 20, 2016

michael_r said:
I doubt it is specific to APUG. I think there is a general distrust of instructions because they might form part of the conspiracy.

Giggle.

pdeeh · Jun 20, 2016

I hold Bilderberg responsible

DWThomas · Jun 20, 2016

michael_r said:
I doubt it is specific to APUG. I think there is a general distrust of instructions because they might form part of the conspiracy.

Yes! And this is why I am upgrading my tinfoil hat to gold plated mu-metal.

Old-N-Feeble · Jun 20, 2016

Chinglish... 'nuff said.

Prof_Pixel · Jun 20, 2016

It's always been a matter of 'RTFM'

pdeeh · Jun 20, 2016

it is quite remarkable how resistant people seem to have become to believing what would formerly have been trusted sources of information.

I was reading about "morgellons" earlier today ... very instructive. and just the other day a UK "politician" was quoted as saying "I think the doctors have got it wrong about smoking."

I'm all for scepticism, but ...

markbarendt · Jun 20, 2016

Prof_Pixel said:
It's always been a matter of 'RTFM'

I actually think a lot of people read the instructions before they willfully ignore them based on a bit of hearsay.

michr · Jun 20, 2016

I'd like to believe there was a time in the recent past where instructions were well-written enough to actually convey what a person had to know to use a product. Most products these days are shipped with the most anemic instructions possible. If anything on paper is included, it's usually about twelve pages long with only one page in English. I'm sure universities must be churning out as many technical writing graduates as ever. It's a shame it seems that few companies actually employ them. So from my perspective, why do so few read the manuals? Why do so few bother to write them? Give me a manual with authority: one that conveys what I need to know in an engaging way, which gives me a conceptual overview of the product, isn't full of marketing speak, and isn't tab-A slot-B rudiments that can easily be found with a Google search. Maybe then I'll read the stinkin' manual. Until that day passes, I'll just assume manuals are full of lies which I'll have to work around with my own research.

pdeeh · Jun 20, 2016

markbarendt said:
I actually think a lot of people read the instructions before they willfully ignore them based on a bit of hearsay.

michr said:
I'll just assume manuals are full of lies which I'll have to work around with my own research.

perfect!

pentaxuser · Jun 20, 2016

pdeeh said:
and just the other day a UK "politician" was quoted as saying "I think the doctors have got it wrong about smoking."

I couldn't quite believe that any politician could have said this until I checked who it was. "Nuff said"

pentaxuser

pdeeh · Jun 20, 2016

hence my use of quotation marks around "politician"

michr · Jun 20, 2016

pdeeh said:
perfect!

Lest you think I'm being willfully ignorant by ignoring the manuals. I work in computers.

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 20, 2016

My favorite are the neophytes who get it into their heads that some random, edge case technique like stand development or obscure developer from 1890 is what they need to use with once in a lifetime photos of their grandparents' 100th wedding anniversary. So they try with no tests, for the very first time, on every roll they shot and then wonder why they're all solid black and the reels are now coated in purple slime.

tedr1 · Jun 20, 2016

The internet is a wonderful thing, unfortunately not everything to be found here is true.

pdeeh · Jun 20, 2016

michr said:
Lest you think I'm being willfully ignorant by ignoring the manuals. I work in computers.

lest you think I'm being wilfully critical, I had a successful career of over a decade in computing, and never read a manual once.

it's not that I thought that they were full of lies, I just couldn't be arsed.

grahamp · Jun 20, 2016

I am amazed by the number of people who believe that they can do something new at the last minute with no preparation, and expect it to work*.

The idea of doing a controlled test seems to be anathema to some.

* work = someone else who took the time to learn now to do it will pull their chestnuts out of the fire.

removed account4 · Jun 20, 2016

if you have ever tried to read the instructions on how to set the clock on a vcr
or attempt to put together IKEA furniture you know why some folks might not
bother with instructions. the translations might not really be accurate.

gone · Jun 20, 2016

"I think the doctors have got it wrong about smoking."

Reminds me of that funny Woody Allen movie (way, way back, when he made funny movies) where the doctors were siting around and smoking and eating fatty foods. They were laughing and saying that they could remember when people thought that such activities were bad for your health, when in fact they now knew (then, in the movie's future time setting) that they were in fact GOOD for your health.

As for mistakes, yeah, read the directions if they make any sense. They don't always do that. I'm actually a big fan of screwing up royally and understanding what went wrong so that we understand the process, or just to see what happens. Many scientific advances came from people just screwing around and doing what they shouldn't do. But if course, don't complain if things go awry. That's part of the bargain.

Kawaiithulhu · Jun 20, 2016

momus said:
Woody Allen movie

Sleeper.

rpavich · Jun 20, 2016

I can only say (as a noob) that my developing drastically improved when I read, and then started with the manufacturer's recommendations...lol.
Who'd a thought it?

I started by NOT doing that and then circling back around after some problems and then re-starting there...and guess what? They were right! Lol..

Nathan King · Jun 20, 2016

Actually, APUG is one of the more respectful, intelligent, and thoughtful forums with the most knowledgable base of users I've been a member of. I'm not sure if we should be proud or frightened.

Old-N-Feeble · Jun 20, 2016

tedr1 said:
The internet is a wonderful thing, unfortunately not everything to be found here is true.

Oh... that's not true!!

paul ron · Jun 20, 2016

I think this is pretty funny.

This place has so many very respected n knowledgeable people with many years of experience n education. Ive learned so much over the years on the why n technical factors of photography just by being an active member in the forums.

But sometimes I see a need for the devils advocate as a challenge to keep everyone on their toes... keep that gray matter pink so to speak.

We also need myth busters from time to time because there are so many being perpetually kept alive by hear say instead of experience, science or experimentation.

Thank you APUGers.. lets keep film alive.

DarkroomExperimente · Jun 20, 2016

reading instructions is fine if you want predictable results...

but sometimes ya gotta follow the old saying "observe the turtle: it only makes progress when it sticks its neck out"

"I've got a good idea," NO YOU DON'T!

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