Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Why won't it just work?

Spent a fair bit of this afternoon trying to work out how to use a piece of GIS software. An odd feeling for an unfrocked technical author, as I have divided loyalties. Like all users, I want to be able to make the thing work NOW, and no, I'm not bloody going to read that carefully crafted section entitled "About ArcMap". On the other hand, I can tell as I crack their shiny spines that they have been quite nicely done. They've taken the trouble to say "want" not "wish", and the steps in the procedures actually make sense. I've written "About ArcMap" and its friends quite a few times myself. Maybe I'll read it some time to express my solidarity to a brother scribe.

At one point C. gets an ex-boyfriend of hers from upstairs to come and have a look as he supposedly used to work with this stuff. Yes, that does sound weird, doesn't it? He can't answer my question and instead spouts a lot of bullshit. He comes over as a right arsehole, claims that what I want can't be done, and takes ages to go away.

A bit later I discover there's a GIS support group, phone up somebody, and ask the same question. I get a correct and helpful answer within about 30 seconds.

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