Oh, and the reason for Microsoft’s language is that they want a particular casual feeling in their messages. And the focus test for this.
I personally don’t like this style, though I agree it’s better than the previous robotic version. What I want them to do is better caching, so that the list doesn’t have to be completely repopulated every time. It seems silly I have to wait so long to uninstall a program. Have the list cached and add to it when the program is installed.
I think I have a winner: Anytime anyone asks you to remind them to do anything, right away you say don’t forget to do whatever it is. That is literally the most unhelpful help, ever.
My own personal, unscientific, unresearched, and unproven theory is that the people who write any kinds of technical instructions don’t write for people who know nothing. Similarly, the ridiculous procedures for programming one’s VCR (yeah, I know) made perfect sense to the team or individual who designed them, but they forget that not everyone’s mind works like theirs. Or the reason I have a difficult time explaining certain math concepts to someone who doesn’t understand - sheesh, it’s perfectly obvious to me!!!
I’m pretty sure it’s not always deliberate - rather, I think if you work in a certain environment and are accustomed to using certain language with like-minded coworkers, you forget that folks in the outside world don’t know your patois. OK, I could be completely wrong, but I prefer to think it’s not a deliberate attempt to make others feel stupid.
Except the CREO “help” - it’s more helpful to go to YouTube and watch a video by someone who managed to figure out how to do what you want to do. CREO is CAD modeling software, in case you’re wondering.
Closely followed by seeing someone carrying something heavy: “Do you need a hand?” “Yes” ::clap wildly.