Comments on: Why can’t they just give you instructions in one language? http://meganmcdermott.com/2008/06/05/why-cant-they-just-give-you-the-instructions-in-your-language/ Web design and that Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Megan http://meganmcdermott.com/2008/06/05/why-cant-they-just-give-you-the-instructions-in-your-language/comment-page-1/#comment-24024 Megan Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:57:09 +0000 http://meganmcdermott.com/?p=235#comment-24024 Hm, that's interesting. I'm thinking the CD could be worse because then you end up throwing it in the garbage eventually. At least paper is recycleable (although I know there are some places that can recycle CD's now). For some products it could be much better, because you could include a video, for example, instead of unlabelled pictures. But, then, you could put that on a website too. Extra plugs must be really annoying! Surely those go straight to the garbage or the depths of a drawer that will never see the light of day. Hm, that’s interesting. I’m thinking the CD could be worse because then you end up throwing it in the garbage eventually. At least paper is recycleable (although I know there are some places that can recycle CD’s now).

For some products it could be much better, because you could include a video, for example, instead of unlabelled pictures. But, then, you could put that on a website too.

Extra plugs must be really annoying! Surely those go straight to the garbage or the depths of a drawer that will never see the light of day.

]]> By: Michael Aringer http://meganmcdermott.com/2008/06/05/why-cant-they-just-give-you-the-instructions-in-your-language/comment-page-1/#comment-24014 Michael Aringer Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:12:51 +0000 http://meganmcdermott.com/?p=235#comment-24014 Hi, I live in Austria and I have made similar experiences with packaging and user-manuals. I often wonder if it really is necessary to include two or more plugs for all possible countries. Beside the usual European plug with two pins I often get the British plug with three blades too. Instead of a manual nowadays there often is a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM included. I don't know if this is better for the environment, but it comes it is more easy to find you own language (and drivers if it is something for your computer). Hi, I live in Austria and I have made similar experiences with packaging and user-manuals. I often wonder if it really is necessary to include two or more plugs for all possible countries. Beside the usual European plug with two pins I often get the British plug with three blades too. Instead of a manual nowadays there often is a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM included. I don’t know if this is better for the environment, but it comes it is more easy to find you own language (and drivers if it is something for your computer).

]]> By: Megan http://meganmcdermott.com/2008/06/05/why-cant-they-just-give-you-the-instructions-in-your-language/comment-page-1/#comment-23744 Megan Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:05:06 +0000 http://meganmcdermott.com/?p=235#comment-23744 Another thing they could do is add the manuals according to the country they're being sent to. Canada gets English and French, maybe Chinese. US gets English and Spanich. British gets English only (printed in British English, not US English) etc. There would be separate booklets for each language, you'd just have to put in the right ones. Interestingly, when I opened my Belkin Flip KVM switch it came with only one 4-page fold out pamphlet in English only. Another thing they could do is add the manuals according to the country they’re being sent to. Canada gets English and French, maybe Chinese. US gets English and Spanich. British gets English only (printed in British English, not US English) etc. There would be separate booklets for each language, you’d just have to put in the right ones.

Interestingly, when I opened my Belkin Flip KVM switch it came with only one 4-page fold out pamphlet in English only.

]]> By: Andrew http://meganmcdermott.com/2008/06/05/why-cant-they-just-give-you-the-instructions-in-your-language/comment-page-1/#comment-23738 Andrew Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:29:49 +0000 http://meganmcdermott.com/?p=235#comment-23738 I like your idea of including the card with the website address on it. I hardly read them anyways, and covering all the languages is pretty wasteful. It's probably cheaper for the company to just include them in all in the box instead of sorting the products with English instructions from the products with Spanish instructions from the... "If all else fails, read the instructions." :) I like your idea of including the card with the website address on it. I hardly read them anyways, and covering all the languages is pretty wasteful. It’s probably cheaper for the company to just include them in all in the box instead of sorting the products with English instructions from the products with Spanish instructions from the…

“If all else fails, read the instructions.” :)

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