ABSTRACT
Poorly written instructions are constantly confronting us, and the problems of clarity become even more apparent when these instructions cross international boundaries. For example, poor instructions for programming a VCR or assembling a bicycle create frustration regardless of whether readers in the United States or readers in other countries use them. We know from anecdotal evidence of instances where something has gone bad because the documents do not make sense or offend a cultural attitude: automobile companies change car names, advertising agencies revise campaigns, and so on. Among the areas where the potential problem can lead to much more than a chuckle is in communicating international standards.
