Sunday, January 22, 2006

(DONT)README.TXT

[Rant mode ON]

I cannot figure out any good way of making users READ the friggin README.TXT file. You know, the one that BEGS you: READ ME! READ ME! READ ME!

Some installers will automatically open the README.TXT file as the last step before finishing the product installation, but even then, the user is not guaranteed (read: 95% of the time, won't do it) to actually put some effort into making sense of what's been written in there.

Can we get an installer that will pop out a semi-automatic, point it to the PC and play a .wav to say "If you don't ACTUALLY read the stupid thing, I am PULLING THE TRIGGER"?

Actually, bad idea... we'll get even more support calls that way, with people bitching that there was a huge explosion and a hard disk fragment popped their eye socket out or something...

[Rant mode OFF]

If anyone has any good solutions on this, I am all ears...

3 comments:

Mats J said...

Lefteri,

One solution would be to have the user pass a test on the content of the readme (And perhaps the manual as well?) before he/she is allowed to even start the program. :-)

See you around,
Mats

Lefteris said...

Yeah! Why not!

"In order to be able to execute this installer, you'll need to identify what the deeper meaning of the 1917 revolution was for the farmers in Pennsylvania". :-)

Anonymous said...

I think you should read the readme to the user during installation. Make sure there are a lot of file or that it can't complete until the readme has been read alound completely