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> "Don't put laptops on here." With an explanation why not? I feel like having that, instead of a "Here Be Dragons" note would be more helpful, so someone won'

> "Don't put laptops on here." With an explanation why not? I feel like having that, instead of a "Here Be Dragons" note would be more helpful, so someone won't ignore the sign thinking "It'll be fine". Also it'd be funny if the sign is still there even though all* laptops have SSDs now...

euroderf 2y ago
Agreed. Commands without a hint of explanation are typically a sign of organizational dysfunction.
- otteromkram 2y ago
  Disagree. Just follow what the sign says. Do you use the same logic when approaching a "stop" sign while driving?
  - nkrisc 2y ago
    I remember being told why we stop at stop signs when I was learning to drive. Regarding the sign about laptops: do you want to be right, out do you want people to not put their laptops on there? If your goal truly is to stop people putting laptops on there, then account for people who may not follow the directions if they don’t know why.
    - jappgar 2y ago
      There are just as many people who will be more likely to disobey a warning if they hear the rationale. They might think "naw that HVAC unit couldn't do that. this sign is wrong" Sometimes simple commands are better than explanations.
    - ruthmarx 2y ago
      > If your goal truly is to stop people putting laptops on there, then account for people who may not follow the directions if they don’t know why. Why? If they decide to ignore the sign, and they fuck their laptops up, that's on them. A note of direction doesn't need to justify itself. People that think they are owed an explanation so they can decide whether or not to follow a note are the problem here.
      - nkrisc 2y ago
        Yeah, it’s on them. But that doesn’t fix things.
        ruthmarx 2y ago
        Because there's no problem to fix?
  - euroderf 2y ago
    Not a stop sign. But as a general rule for living, Question authority.
jappgar 2y ago
Because it's funny? Life would be pretty boring if everything were explicit. Also, sometimes explaining the rationale for a warning can backfire. An "absolutely no smoking" sign at a fuel depot doesnt tell you _why_ you shouldn't smoke there... If it did, dumb people might think "We'll I'm not refueling at the moment so it will be fine." "Here be dragons" is vague for a reason.
- martinflack 2y ago
  I've lived in the US and UK and noticed what I think is a tiny cultural difference -- that signs giving instructions in the US tend to be brief and contain the instruction only; whereas in the UK I thought I saw more that add some text for a brief explanation or reason, if it wasn't obvious.
  - Gud 2y ago
    In the UK they love their safety labels. Only country where I’ve been where there’s a safety label on everything. It’s ridiculous.
ruthmarx 2y ago
> so someone won't ignore the sign thinking "It'll be fine". If they do whatever happens is on them for assuming that.
- Dylan16807 2y ago
  Presumably the goal is the avoid broken laptops, not to worry about who it's on.
  - WilTimSon 2y ago
    I wonder if there is a name for the phenomenon where people do something that leads to negative consequences but they technically "did everything right". I have a friend who crosses the street without looking both ways and his argument is that if a car hits him "they're in the wrong", as if an accident doesn't occur that way.
    - sudhirj 2y ago
      This is the old "I may be dead, but at least I'm right" argument.
    - nickcocker 2y ago
      [dead]
    - bryanrasmussen 2y ago
      >I have a friend who crosses the street without looking both ways and his argument is that if a car hits him "they're in the wrong" in the U.S there seems to be a hatred of pedestrians among the driver class, and a tendency for police to let even the most egregious drivers off the hook when a pedestrian gets killed (as long as it's not a hit and run), therefore this does not seem a good strategy. However, and this is if they are in the U.S, perhaps they are mildly suicidal and thinking that if they get run over and killed it lets them off the hook for suicide and whoever ran them over gets a few problems which just serves those jerks right. The misanthrope's answer on how to ease out of life.

euroderf 2y ago

Agreed. Commands without a hint of explanation are typically a sign of organizational dysfunction.

otteromkram 2y ago
Disagree. Just follow what the sign says. Do you use the same logic when approaching a "stop" sign while driving?
- nkrisc 2y ago
  I remember being told why we stop at stop signs when I was learning to drive. Regarding the sign about laptops: do you want to be right, out do you want people to not put their laptops on there? If your goal truly is to stop people putting laptops on there, then account for people who may not follow the directions if they don’t know why.
  - jappgar 2y ago
    There are just as many people who will be more likely to disobey a warning if they hear the rationale. They might think "naw that HVAC unit couldn't do that. this sign is wrong" Sometimes simple commands are better than explanations.
  - ruthmarx 2y ago
    > If your goal truly is to stop people putting laptops on there, then account for people who may not follow the directions if they don’t know why. Why? If they decide to ignore the sign, and they fuck their laptops up, that's on them. A note of direction doesn't need to justify itself. People that think they are owed an explanation so they can decide whether or not to follow a note are the problem here.
    - nkrisc 2y ago
      Yeah, it’s on them. But that doesn’t fix things.
      - ruthmarx 2y ago
        Because there's no problem to fix?
- euroderf 2y ago
  Not a stop sign. But as a general rule for living, Question authority.

jappgar 2y ago

Because it's funny? Life would be pretty boring if everything were explicit. Also, sometimes explaining the rationale for a warning can backfire. An "absolutely no smoking" sign at a fuel depot doesnt tell you _why_ you shouldn't smoke there... If it did, dumb people might think "We'll I'm not refueling at the moment so it will be fine." "Here be dragons" is vague for a reason.

martinflack 2y ago
I've lived in the US and UK and noticed what I think is a tiny cultural difference -- that signs giving instructions in the US tend to be brief and contain the instruction only; whereas in the UK I thought I saw more that add some text for a brief explanation or reason, if it wasn't obvious.
- Gud 2y ago
  In the UK they love their safety labels. Only country where I’ve been where there’s a safety label on everything. It’s ridiculous.

ruthmarx 2y ago

> so someone won't ignore the sign thinking "It'll be fine". If they do whatever happens is on them for assuming that.

Dylan16807 2y ago
Presumably the goal is the avoid broken laptops, not to worry about who it's on.
- WilTimSon 2y ago
  I wonder if there is a name for the phenomenon where people do something that leads to negative consequences but they technically "did everything right". I have a friend who crosses the street without looking both ways and his argument is that if a car hits him "they're in the wrong", as if an accident doesn't occur that way.
  - sudhirj 2y ago
    This is the old "I may be dead, but at least I'm right" argument.
  - nickcocker 2y ago
    [dead]
  - bryanrasmussen 2y ago
    >I have a friend who crosses the street without looking both ways and his argument is that if a car hits him "they're in the wrong" in the U.S there seems to be a hatred of pedestrians among the driver class, and a tendency for police to let even the most egregious drivers off the hook when a pedestrian gets killed (as long as it's not a hit and run), therefore this does not seem a good strategy. However, and this is if they are in the U.S, perhaps they are mildly suicidal and thinking that if they get run over and killed it lets them off the hook for suicide and whoever ran them over gets a few problems which just serves those jerks right. The misanthrope's answer on how to ease out of life.