You know you are getting old when..

[Tim Lamb]

Digital timer EF700ET setting proves to be beyond the capability of your brain:-(

We have one controlling a heat recovery system in a rented out flat. The tenants complained of mould on the walls so I was sent to check.

The system was running OK but I made the mistake of unplugging the timer to check the settings as the display was not showing the correct time. I now know that the back up batteries are expensive and have a limited life! The second mistake was pressing the reset button.

Progress so far... day of week OK, 12/24 hour OK, time of day OK.

Program setting total failure.

Program required on 7.30 off 22.30, 7 days.

Setting instructions from the net are much better than those supplied by Screwfix but still inadequate for a bear of little brain.

Help!

With the program mode active, ^ button or v the programming group is switched to their on/off state. Does this mean that ^ leading to 1 displayed and the lamp symbol on and the time *set* followed by v 9 down to 1 will give a second time setting opportunity?

[Jim Hawkins]

It isn't simply because you're getting old. Instructions supplied with most devices these days are often incomprehensible for one or both of two reasons: First, the standard of written (and spoken !) English these days is dire, and second, instructions are not tested by getting ordinary members of the public, unfamiliar with the device, to try to follow them.

Jim Hawkins

[charles]

3rd reason. they are written by someone whose native language is not English.

[RobertL]

Being a native english speaker is no guarantee of being able to write clear instructions.

Robert

[Tim Watts]

On Thursday 14 November 2013 13:00 RobertL wrote in uk.d-i-y:

ru dising mi inglish breds?wnka!!! dis lack respekt is to much from a so caled inglishman. com sayit to mi posse n see if u like havin no teeth

====

And if you do not believe me, look at the twitter timeline for anyone connected with EDL/BNP!

[charles]

true - but a non-native speaker is also likely not to write proper english

[Chris J Dixon]

[Bill Wright]

No but it helps.

Bill

[jgh]

4th reason: the instructions don't actually match reality. "Press the STORE button". What f***g STORE button??? mhas

jgh