My Canon PowerShot SD600 digital camera is a marvel of engineering. The amount of human intelligence embodied in this object the size of a pack of cigarettes — please forgive the politically incorrect comparison — is staggering to this old engineering student. All the more remarkable, therefore, is the ineptitude of the writing found in the User Guide. The following bolded passages are verbatim quotations:
Do not look directly at the sun or at other intense light sources through the viewfinder that could damage your eyesight.
But isn't a viewfinder that could damage one's eyes a serious design flaw?
Wrist strap: Placement of the strap around the child's neck could result in asphyxiation.
So it is not just any child that could be asphyxiated in this manner, but only some particular child? A child whose head is so tiny that one could get the wrist strap over it?
Memory card: Dangerous if accidentally swallowed. If this occurs, contact a doctor immediately.
Is swallowing it harmless if done deliberately?
Do not attempt to disassemble or alter any part of the equipment that is not expressly described in this guide.
So it is OK to disassemble or alter any part that is expressly described?
The battery should not be immersed in water or sea water.
I would have thought that if water is deleterious, then a fortiori for sea water. What about heavy water?
Do not place anything, such as tablecloths, carpets, bedding or cushions, on top of the battery charger while it is charging.
What about lingerie, dirty diapers, oily rags, dry wall and roofing shingles?
Are those items OK? They have to be stored somewhere.
Be careful not to bang the camera or subject it to strong impacts or shocks that could lead to injury or damage the equipment when wearing or holding it by the strap.
Suppose I'm neither wearing the camera by the strap nor holding it by the strap. Would smashing it with a ball peen hammer do it any damage? Or would it cause injury but no damage? Is it OK to bang the camera so long as I do not subject it to a strong impact? What if the strong impact does not amount to a shock? What then?
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