Saturday, February 25, 2006
Say That Again Please
Much has been written lately about using proper techniques on the web both in writing and in verbal presentations since podcasting and such are beginning to take over at break neck speeds.
I think that should apply in other areas too. For example instruction books that come with things you buy are getting worse day by day. Sure, in the past there were a few translation mistakes. Today there are entire instruction books that do not make any sense at all. I have one here for a DVD recorder that is just a jumble of words. It is so bad an individual took it upon himself to write a proper one and place it on the internet for free. This is for a common brand name product.
I frequently receive phone calls from individuals either promoting a product or soliciting money for some organization. At least that is what I think they are doing. When I politely say: "I'm sorry, I can't understand a word you are saying", they continue to ramble on, often louder and faster. I interrupt and say, "I am sorry, due to your accent, I have no idea what you are trying to tell me", and they start over again.
I truly mean no disrespect. I value diversity highly and think everyone should be treated equally. That is what makes our country so unique. At the same time, if you are trying to sell me something, or trying to get me to donate money, you are the one that has to provide clear communication.
It is starting to look like some companies and organizations just don't care anymore. Anyone that can come up with a translator the size of a Blackberry that will do voice and print stands to make as much money as Google.
I think that should apply in other areas too. For example instruction books that come with things you buy are getting worse day by day. Sure, in the past there were a few translation mistakes. Today there are entire instruction books that do not make any sense at all. I have one here for a DVD recorder that is just a jumble of words. It is so bad an individual took it upon himself to write a proper one and place it on the internet for free. This is for a common brand name product.
I frequently receive phone calls from individuals either promoting a product or soliciting money for some organization. At least that is what I think they are doing. When I politely say: "I'm sorry, I can't understand a word you are saying", they continue to ramble on, often louder and faster. I interrupt and say, "I am sorry, due to your accent, I have no idea what you are trying to tell me", and they start over again.
I truly mean no disrespect. I value diversity highly and think everyone should be treated equally. That is what makes our country so unique. At the same time, if you are trying to sell me something, or trying to get me to donate money, you are the one that has to provide clear communication.
It is starting to look like some companies and organizations just don't care anymore. Anyone that can come up with a translator the size of a Blackberry that will do voice and print stands to make as much money as Google.
This work by NSCAVE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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