Real men don’t read manuals do they?

[Nostrodamus]

I hate that new packaging on some tools that needs a angle grinder to get the plastic off before you get into it (especially when it is a pair of scissor). Then it is tied in with those bendy metal ties by a japaneese bondage expert. Takes six years,the loss of three fingers and eight trips to casualty before you throw the whole lot in the bin... or give it to the kids to open.

 

[jordanbasset]

Bought my wife a kindle for Christmas, a few sentences of instruction, rest on the kindle itself and pretty much intuitive - thumbs up for me.
Chart plotter has an instruction book that would do credit to the space shuttle. Also came with a double sided laminated card, did not take me long to make my decision as which to use. Although did get bored on a long crossing once and started reading the book, it was only then that I appreciated what true boredom meant.

 

[Twister_Ken]

I'm reminded of a line of patter I once heard (maybe Tommy Cooper?) "I was the only boy on our street who took his nose apart to see what made it run."

 

[Sandyman]

Thought that was part of growing up for a young lad with an inquisitive mind. Take it apart to see how it works but never think of how you put it back together.

 

[Spyro]

It's all to do with learning styles, plenty online tests to find out which you are.
Can be broken down into
Activist, Pragmatist, Reflector or Theorist

As my wife keeps telling me I'm definetly an activist . Manuals are only for when you get stuck.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Chart plotter has an instruction book that would do credit to the space shuttle.

Once wrote a story for an IT company's customer magazine, about a computerised document management system. The main plank was the development, by Boeing, of its Jetfoil. When they first started testing the prototype, they couldn't get anywhere near the designed performance. Then they off loaded all the various files, manuals, instructions, guidelines, etc and it flew.

 

[macd]

Knock on the door:
"'Ere, sign this."

I did, and the delivery blokes disappeared, leaving me with a new washing machine/spin drier on the footpath.

Oh, perhaps I ought to mention that I'd broken a collar-bone three days before.

Clench every muscle in my body, heave, tug, lug, thrutch, sweat pouring off me. After 20 agonising minutes I had the damn thing up the step, through the hall, wiggled through the chicane into the kitchen, and into place under the counter in the far corner. I was soaked, knackered, and unhappily aware of an unpleasant grating noise from my right shoulder.

Sit down with stiff drink, idly flicking through the handbook that came with the damn washing machine. In big letters on page 3: "In order to facilitate moving of this appliance, pull the two levers at the front and the trolley wheels will descend."

I've still got one shoulder lower than the other. But did I learn my lesson? Did I hell.

 

[Nostrodamus]

I recollect a story about an American buying a rather large trailor camperbus type thing.
He read in the manual it had cruise control so engaged it and then went in the back to make a cup of tea. Couldn't understand why he ended up in a ditch and then tried to sue the company....

 

[brianhumber]

On my first ship I could not get a pump dismantled and with trepidation went to inform the Chief Engineer of my plight. ( Junior Engineers were only seen and not heard in those days)

He did not look up but merely growled I was to go away ( but said in robust anglo saxon terms) and RTFM first before bothering him again.


Brian

 

[Forty_Two]

After twenty years addings km's of cable to my trusty Grand Banks 42, I found my various drawings & memory not good enough so had to spend three months writing an electrical manual with detailed drawings.

Best think I ever did, use it all the time. Systems are complex these days & memory just isn't good enough. Good for when it's time to part company as well i think.

Suppose this is a reverse engineered manual

 

[Spyro]

This thread reminds me of a story my mate told me a few weeks ago. He went round to his brother's house and when he went in the whole house was shaking and vibrating. He asked his Brother what the hell was going on. He was told "ah that's the new wahing machine, it just needs to bed in". My mate said to him "you have removed the transport bolts haven't you?"
"What transport bolts" was the reply

 

[davidej]

Including Beneteau's new First 40.7 computer game. If, part way through, things aren't going well you press the reset button and you get to start again...

I bet Hot Liquid wished they had one of those.