Friday, May 22, 2009

One more reason Skynet won't work

So, I needed to photocopy multiple copies of a manuscript that included blank pages. The helpful photocopier saw that I was trying to copy blank pages and concluded I obviously didn't really want to do that, so left the blank pages out. Result: pagination all mixed up in the multiple copies.

I had to copy another manuscript. This time I was cleverer. I wrote BLANK in large, friendly letters on the blank page. The copier still couldn't quite believe I wanted to waste valuable time, paper and toner on a page with BLANK scrawled on it and so again left the blanks out.

Please will machines stop trying to be helpful. It really doesn't help.

2 comments:

  1. I have a soft spot for 'this page intentionally left blank'. Maybe it should be resurrected?

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  2. I wrote BLANK in large letters from one corner to the diagonal opposite, and it still wouldn't believe me ... But yes, it might understand me if I actually put "intentional", possibly followed by "so include this page or end up with an axe in your motherboard".

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