n.
Whimsical paper said to be used in electronic equipment manuals that are so dumbed-down and simplistic as to be of no use whatsoever. adj.
Example Citation:
Documentation that has been obsessively dumbed down i.e., simplified to the point where only a cretin someone who can't do anything right could bear to read it, is said to have succumbed to the "drool-proof paper syndrome" or to have been "written on drool-proof paper." For example, this is an actual quote from Apple's LaserWriter manual: "Do not expose your LaserWriter to open fire or flame."
Robert L. Tennant, "The Computer Glossary," Technical Communication, November 1994
Robert L. Tennant, "The Computer Glossary," Technical Communication, November 1994
Earliest Citation:
It was in this world that "user friendly" was first translated to "dumbed down," where "drool-proof paper" was coined to describe documentation (computer hardware and software instructions) that had been dumbed down to the point where only a cretin could bear to read it.
Clarence Peterson, "Paperbacks," Chicago Tribune, December 1, 1991
Clarence Peterson, "Paperbacks," Chicago Tribune, December 1, 1991
Related Words:
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bozon
elder-proof
electronic paper
Hanlon's Razor
ignoranus
paperphilia
stupid line
Stupids
zipperhead
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