| Thank
you all for your continued interest in our Worst
Manual Contest. We always have a good time reading
over your entries and look forward to next year’s
contest. As in previous years, the majority of
the entries received this year represented obvious
translation issues. We also received a few additional
entries that contained some pretty outrageous
writing examples, but were excluded from the contest
since they were internal documents and proprietary
in nature.
In this last
year, some folks have expressed an interest in
seeing more examples of poor writing that aren’t
due to translation issues. We are happy to comply,
but that is up to you! Please keep your eyes open
for any good examples of poor documentation (that
is available to the general public) as potential
entries for next year. We look forward to seeing
what you come up with!
Winning Entry
Submitted by Rhonda Bracey of South Perth, Western
Australia
As Rhonda Bracey puts it –
“translator beware!” Rhonda couldn't
help but submit this entry to us on behalf of
her friend, Ed Lowe, who actually had to use this
manual. Air conditioning can be a blessing on
those hot summer days that are just too hot to
handle, but beware of this unit! If the phrase,
“…to have the observance without fail
to prevent the damage to harm and the property
beforehand to the person who use this product
and other persons” doesn’t scare you,
then some of the other warnings will! This entry
was just based on the two-page safety section
of the manual that came with this unit. We shudder
to think how the rest of it read!
Where to begin…
The warning symbol key is amusing
and a bit confusing, to say the least.
- The solid black square is referred to twice
in the symbol key with different descriptions,
but is not used in any of the reference display
boxes. Why include a symbol in the key that
isn’t even used anywhere?
- There is a solid black circle that does appear
in one of the display boxes, but is nowhere
to be found or described in the symbol key.
Now that makes sense!
- They use the same symbol for both Warning
and Caution, but one represents “The possibility
to cause the death or the serious injury…”
and the other represents “The possibility
that only injury or material damage occurs…”
We don’t know about you, but it sure seems
like those deserve their own distinct symbols!
- We were quite amused by the descriptions used
for the main symbols.
- “Attention rousing” –
Okay, we will admit it made us curious enough
to look.
- “Prohibition” – The
manufacture and sale of alcohol is legal
now, right?
- “Compulsion” – This
is to warn you just in case you feel the
irresistible impulse to perform one of these
ridiculous acts!
Now, a few notable descriptions from the display
reference boxes…
“To apply the cold wind to
the body for a longtime and so as to not exist
about cooling too much”
“Do not detach fan guard of
the outdoor unit and put neither finger nor the
stick, etc.” – Now the symbol used
for this is “Prohibition,” but this
seems like a great candidate for “Compulsion”
if we ever heard one! Come on, you know you want
to!
“Please do not put the one
embarrassed because it gets wet under the air
conditioner.” – Huh?!
“Do not blow the wind to animals
and plants directly. It occasionally causes a
bad influence for animals and platns to be exerted.”
So, that’s why that darn cat is being bad
and clawing the furniture!
“Do not use for the storage
of precision machinery, foodstuffs, animals or
plants, or artworks.” This is yet another
great candidate for the “Compulsion”
symbol. I guess we’ll have to just find
another place to keep that precious Rembrandt!
Please click on the link below
to view the entry in its entirety. The comical
illustrations and additional descriptions are
worth perusing.
View
the full JPEG with illustrations
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