Oct 25, 2019
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Me, assembling a shelf: “Well, this looks pretty idiot-proof.”
Literally twenty seconds later:
...
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
—Rick Cook, The Wizardry Compiled
If you make something idiot-proof, someone will just make a better idiot.
Label on a can of peanuts: Contains peanuts.
Me: ...WELL, I HOPE SO!
I was recently given some footage to do a edits for a viral marketing push for a large company. They wanted it in the style of a 1920s silent movie. The footage wasn’t great but did my best rescue job and after the reviewing the first version, the client that requested I make it like a silent movie gave me this note.
Client: When they open their mouth and speak I can’t hear what they are saying. I feel excluded.
Me: Okay, but it immediately cuts to a title card that tells you what they said. Like a silent movie. Like you requested.
Client: Well I wouldn’t know about that. It was before my time.
I worked for a small graphics shop at a large company and we got the typical request for a 20 x 30 poster to be printed to advertise an internal company event. I designed the poster and sent it to the customer for review before print.
Client: I don’t understand why it’s so small. We ordered it to be a regular poster size!
Me: I’m sorry, I’m not sure what the issue is ma'am. It’s designed to the correct specifications, and I assure you when we print it will be 20x30.
Client: Well I JUST measured it and it’s not that size, not even close.
It took me a minute to process this.
Me: You measured it? How?
Client: I used a ruler to measure the screen, and it is NOT poster size.
Me: Oh.
Got some input on the buttons on our company website from the CEO. The buttons had black text and light gray background. He was sitting by a laptop and then he stood up and watched it from about a 90-degree angle. In other words, he was looking at the top edge of the lid and gave me this input:
Client: We need to do something about the buttons on our website. They are hard to see like this, we need something with more contrast.
Then he sat down.