Worst Manual Contest
Submit your entry by January 31, 2003.
For contest
rules, visit the Technical Standards Web site at www.tecstandards.com.
See previous
winners:
.../2002winner.htm
.../2001winner.htm
Just a reminder for the holiday season, when all else fails, read the manual.
Have you ever been so frustrated with a manual or set of instructions that you cursed the author and wished you had never bought the product in the first place?
Does this sound familiar? How about $100 for your frustration?
Technical Standards, Inc. (TSI), a Southern California documentation services company, is offering $100 for the winning entry in their third annual Worst Manual Contest.
Send a manual
or set of instructions that is hard to understand, poorly written, or
just plain wrong. Send it if it has bad grammar, too much legalese, is
poorly translated, or has missing steps. If it is the worst entry, you
will win $100.
"We
thought we would have fun with this contest. Everyone has had trouble
with a manual," says Michelle Wier, Director of Operations of Technical
Standards, Inc. "That's why we started our company. People like products
they understand how to use, and good technical documentation reduces the
need for technical support. That's why good manuals are so important."
You don't have to send the whole manual; excerpts of the worst parts are okay. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2003, so check those holiday gifts for potential entries.
Entries must be in English. For complete contest rules, see the Technical Standards Web site at www.tecstandards.com. The winner will be announced on the TSI Web site on February 28, 2003.
