Bad Documentation!

When you write instructions, be sure to get them right:

• Don’t leave anything out
• Get the instructions in order!

Notes, by the way, generally go before the instructions. They give context.

Two rules of thumb:

• Test all instructions! If the reader gets it wrong, the problem is with the instructions.
• Bad documentation must not be justified with the excuse that the reader will figure it out.

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Dad classifies some nouns in the middle of the comic:

So going from weakest to most likely to be correct, Dad has whim, notion, hunch, gut feeling.

How would you sort these? What words would you add to the list? Lemme know in the comments.

A minced oath is a mild substitute for a nastier profanity. Myself, I avoid both the real thing and the mild version.

I say what I actually mean. Consequently, my English is a pretty good means of communication.

Don’t need to say much for this post. Don’t you make these goofs!

By the way, if you click the link to the comic, click the link to the comments. They’re pretty good. One of the comments even explains the solecism in the last panel.

First the puzzle: Is the spider’s sentence correct?

Okay, “all” here means he dreams about only one thing. That’s singular, right? So the verb should be “is,” right?

Then why does “is” sound wrong, and “are” sound right? Think about it before you read the next paragraph.

The reason is called attraction. It’s a legitimate rule in Latin, but not in English, though sometimes it happens. Attraction is when you base the form of a word to agree with the closest candidate (even if it’s incorrect). And “flies” is closer to the verb than the subject is.