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I would say a step further: instruction manuals are inundated with worthless warnings, and there is no sense to the user which are real threats. If you believe

by Pxtl 5y ago

I would say a step further: instruction manuals are inundated with worthless warnings, and there is no sense to the user which are real threats. If you believe instruction manuals, no device should ever be used for its intended purpose, all filters should be changed once every 14 hours, and anything with a fan should be placed on the floor in the exact centre of a 20'x20' room. There is maybe a quarter page of useful text in the average 20 page manual. Warnings in instruction manuals about novel threats are completely worthless.

jacquesm 5y ago
They're a direct consequence of the sue happy American consumer. It's all about legally covering your ass, not about actual risk.
- romwell 5y ago
  There is no such thing as "sue-happy American consumer". There is, however, an American consumer whose only way to get their medical bills paid in case they are hurt by negligence or harmful actions of a corporate entity, is to sue that corporation. Europe has regulations. We have lawsuits. Lack of regulation is justified by the possibility of taking the offending party to court. Stop shaming people who are doing just that.
romwell 5y ago
>I would say a step further: instruction manuals are inundated with worthless warnings, and there is no sense to the user which are real threats... This is not the case. Neither in general, nor, in particular, in the case of Bose QC-35 II headphones. The worst danger the manual explicitly wans about is the potential of "warming sensation"[1], in which case the user is to take the headphones off. Nothing about an imminent fire hazard, or potential chemical burns. Compare this to the labels on, say, two-part epoxy glue about the potential hazards, and what to do. Finally, there are only three possible scenarios: * Including this information in the manual and packaging will scare away people from buying this product because they are uninformed * Including this information in the manual and packaging is pointless, because people don't care * Including this information in the manual and packaging will allow people to make informed choices Arguably, it should be include in either case: - If people become scared, the manufacturers will be pushed to innovate on safety, which is a great outcome; - If "nobody" reads these warnings, there is no reason to add one more about an actual danger that does happen, if rarely; - Correct product labeling is what makes a free market work. I urge you to peruse the Bose QC-35 II manual[1] before responding, and come back with the scariest warning you find there. It is a counter-example to all of your claims. [1] https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_electronics/global/products/headphones/qc35_ii/PDF/811772_og_quietcomfort-35-wireless-ii_en.pdf https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_el...

by Pxtl 5y ago

jacquesm 5y ago

They're a direct consequence of the sue happy American consumer. It's all about legally covering your ass, not about actual risk.

romwell 5y ago
There is no such thing as "sue-happy American consumer". There is, however, an American consumer whose only way to get their medical bills paid in case they are hurt by negligence or harmful actions of a corporate entity, is to sue that corporation. Europe has regulations. We have lawsuits. Lack of regulation is justified by the possibility of taking the offending party to court. Stop shaming people who are doing just that.

romwell 5y ago

>I would say a step further: instruction manuals are inundated with worthless warnings, and there is no sense to the user which are real threats... This is not the case. Neither in general, nor, in particular, in the case of Bose QC-35 II headphones. The worst danger the manual explicitly wans about is the potential of "warming sensation"[1], in which case the user is to take the headphones off. Nothing about an imminent fire hazard, or potential chemical burns. Compare this to the labels on, say, two-part epoxy glue about the potential hazards, and what to do. Finally, there are only three possible scenarios: * Including this information in the manual and packaging will scare away people from buying this product because they are uninformed * Including this information in the manual and packaging is pointless, because people don't care * Including this information in the manual and packaging will allow people to make informed choices Arguably, it should be include in either case: - If people become scared, the manufacturers will be pushed to innovate on safety, which is a great outcome; - If "nobody" reads these warnings, there is no reason to add one more about an actual danger that does happen, if rarely; - Correct product labeling is what makes a free market work. I urge you to peruse the Bose QC-35 II manual[1] before responding, and come back with the scariest warning you find there. It is a counter-example to all of your claims. [1] https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_electronics/global/products/headphones/qc35_ii/PDF/811772_og_quietcomfort-35-wireless-ii_en.pdf https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_el...