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- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- DOCUMENTING USELESS PROGRAMS -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- By: Scoop
-
- Since the beginning of computers, it has become a well established fact that
- many programs need documentation. Any idiot can sit down with a well written
- program and run it without an instruction manual. It takes a bloody Rocket
- Scientist to understand a program that has no menus or help screens. People
- who are able to do this never cease to amaze me.
-
- The programs that have the menus and built-in help screens are usually the same
- ones that have the largest and most complete owner's manuals. Between the help
- files built into the program, and the book that came with the program, you now
- have the proverbial over-kill of documentation.
-
- Now come the games that have and need no documentation like Test Drive or the
- old standard Break-Out. A moron knows how to steer a tricycle so Test Drive
- is of no particular challenge. Break-Out can be figured out while you pick
- your nose (or seat) with one hand, and diddle your joystick with your other.
- This brings me to another interesting theory that I have formulated about the
- computer masterbater who decided on the name "Joystick". He probably devised
- that clever little name while he was in the bathroom, with the door locked.
-
- The secret to becoming a successful Program Document Specialist is to write the
- documents for programs that have no value or need for explanation. This secret
- has been kept from the public for many years due to a fiendish plot by IBM and
- Ronco Toys. Ronco was the original brain behind the K-Tel marketing strategy
- of writing intricate and often difficult programs for the user. This left the
- user in a state of frenzy and prompted him to spend many extra dollars in book
- stores buying a book written by someone with as little intelligence as you, in
- order to better understand the worthless software that he now possessed.
-
- There is BIG money in being able to put onto paper the words that describe a
- method of being able to properly get the most out of a software program. The
- average Document Specialist will write a 400 page book about how to use Lotus
- 123 or Multi-Mate word processor. It takes a special person to be able to
- put into typed words, many pages of useless or stupid programs. To get your
- feet wet at this technique, you may want to start off with a 10 or 20 page
- document on "How to Properly Turn On Your Computer." If you can handle that,
- next try "How to Properly Turn Off Your Computer".
-
- Your final step is to find an extremely simple program that you currently own.
- Run it a few times to make sure that you understand all about it. You are now
- ready to document it. Make sure that it is as simple as simple can be. First
- choose a name for your document. Let's say that you are documenting PAC MAN.
- Choose title something like "The Complete Instructions and Full Documents for
- The Understanding and The Playing of PAC MAN" A title like that, it sounds
- very official!
-
- When writing your document, it is extremely important for you to keep in mind
- that the mushballs who will be trying to read and understand your documentation
- will be suffering from "diminished thinking". Most of them will have had great
- difficulty graduating from a dog obedience school! Keep your Docs VERY simple,
- and do not omit the smallest step. Follow this informative guideline:
-
-
- "The Complete Instructions and Full Documents for
- The Understanding and The Playing of PACK MAN"
-
- By: Rudy Razzelem & David Dazzelem
-
-
- Step 1: Carefully turn on your computer. If you encounter a problem, first
- check to make sure that it is plugged in. If you still are having a
- problem, turn on a light or any other electrical appliance in your
- house (or apartment if applicable) and see if the electric company
- has turned off your power for non-payment. This problem usually is
- found in households where people have over-spent on computers and the
- software needed to support their new habit.
-
- Step 2: Locate where you have put your PAC MAN game. If it is on your Hard
- Drive, go to the directory where the program resides. If you keep it
- on a floppy disk, locate that disk. Once you have located the proper
- disk, insert it into your floppy disk drive.
-
- IMPORTANT NOTE! Only one disk at a time may be inserted into a floppy
- drive! If there is currently a disk in the drive, you must first make
- sure that you remove it BEFORE the next disk is inserted!
- Carefully look at the disk before you insert it into the drive. Make
- sure that the BIG hole in the disk is going in first, and that the
- disk is right side up. Failure to do so can result in the permanent
- damage to your floppy drive! Permanent damage to your floppy drive
- can result in the damage other disks, and those damaged disks can
- damage other good floppy drives.
-
- Step 3: After inserting the proper disk, close the drive door and type the
- word DIR on your keyboard. This will produce a menu of the files
- that are on that disk. Carefully look for files that have extensions
- that end with .BAT .COM .EXE These files will start the game for
- you. The file named "PAC-MAN.BAT" would be preferred over the file
- "PAC-MAN.COM" or "PAC-MAN.EXE". TYPE PAC-MAN.BAT and press your
- ENTER/RETURN key to start the game. Please note that it says to PRESS
- the key. It does not say HIT, BANG or PUNCH !!! A keyboard has many
- delicate switches and should not be abused.
-
- Step 4: Once PAC-MAN has started, simply move the man on the screen around
- with the keys or your joystick and try to accumulate as many points as
- possible. Remember that this is only a game and if you encounter an
- unusual level of frustration, shut off your computer, and immediately
- contact your Psychiatrist about your situation.
-
- By now you should totally understand how to document programs that do not need
- documenting. You are now ready to enter the fashionable and lucrative career
- field of program documenting.
-
- Editors FINAL Note: If think that this article is useless and/or stupid, then
- keep this in mind; You are the moron who just wasted your time reading it!
- If you enjoyed this article, look for our next informative articles entitled:
- "How to PARTY With Those Wild And Crazy Amish People", and the ever popular
- "The Handbook For The Recently Divorced Wife".
-