Why Instructions Do Matter

Phrixos said:

In my twenty-odd years of using computers it is my sad, overall, experience that when it comes to instructions hardware and software manufacturers appear to obey a general rule, i.e., "Just throw something out there that looks like instructions."

Nobody seems to be saying it—but somebody has to:

Instructions are every bit as much a component as the hardware or software itself.
If the instructions don't work—the hardware/software doesn't either!

Agreed.

Worthless instructions and tutorials are why there are so many forums like TenForums.

When instructions in (presumably English) are read by non English speakers it gets even more confusing. Although in Serbia for instance, Serbian translations of manuals are mandatory, about 90% of computer parts don't go thru regular channels and people with bad English (or other languages) have heck of a time to understand anything if not written in very plain language.
I recognize that people in different industries have their own lingo understandable to them only but when dealing with general public should use words understandable to everybody. As I worked in automotive industry fro 25 years, I could now write bunch of sentences that any professional mechanic would understand perfectly but let's say a computer geek (no offense, I'm one of them too) wouldn't be sure if I was talking about cars at all.
If a doctor would tell you anything the way they talk between them, you wouldn't know if you are going to live or die. Lawyers are just as bad to understand to outsiders so mambo-jumbo EULAs can be interpreted dozens of ways.
Many other examples like that and didn't even touch on literacy aspect.
Right now, I'm trying to help a friend with his new smart phone, reading instructions for it in pretty good English but didn't get much past turning it on and doing some basic settings. This manual is soooo badly written that I seriously think even author would not understand properly. Even pictures and drawings are disastrous, let alone thoughts behind author's words. Now I have to translate to Serbian and explain a not very phone smart guy what to do. It's exasperating to say at least. Got to get him to bring it here because I have a feeling I'd be better off finding functions on that phone without the manual than trying to interpret it from the manual.
This isn't even extreme case, have seen even worse.

As the old saying goes RTFM
Though in doing so, you may not be able to decipher it

CountMike said:

Right now, I'm trying to help a friend with his new smart phone, reading instructions for it in pretty good English but didn't get much past turning it on and doing some basic settings. This manual is soooo badly written that I seriously think even author would not understand properly. Even pictures and drawings are disastrous, let alone thoughts behind author's words. Now I have to translate to Serbian and explain a not very phone smart guy what to do. It's exasperating to say at least. Got to get him to bring it here because I have a feeling I'd be better off finding functions on that phone without the manual than trying to interpret it from the manual.
This isn't even extreme case, have seen even worse.

I assume you couldn't find any YouTube (or other) videos about this phone?