[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

If you think that Task Manager supplies the answer, then you should explain what Task Manager is, and how to find it.

I did not intend to provide every little detail. I intended only three paragraphs that provide massive information. And that did not waste time with solutions. Solutions come later. Requested was information that means almost nothing to most, but creates useful replies without "it could be this or could be that".

The next time you experience this slowness ...

completely misses the point #1. Your example ignored the most important question.

What is the objective? To make it faster?

I am still only guessing to that objective. Long before trying to fix a problem, first define the objective. Something about optimizing a computer to run some undefined software?

Your example also asks for irrelevant facts such as "available memory". Third point executes a crucial.com scanner to answer that and numerous other questions. Why would anyone know that? I was not going to list 15 possible anwers provided by that scanner. 'Why' (and learning from the experience) gets answered _after_ each point is performed. Then only relevant answers are posted.

The purpose of Task Manager is to obtain CPU time and Memory Delta - important parameters. I never asked for 'total available memory"? Why did you? I asked for CPU time and Memory Delta (also called Mem Delta or Memory Useage Delta) because those numbers answer numerous relevant questions.

Problem I have with your example is also what I recently encountered with software descriptions. Each routinely forgot to cite its purpose or objective. But its text was so user friendly with all those "I", "you", and irrelevant "they" words that it was easy to read and provided near zero useful information.

First and foremost is point one: what is the objective. What is that program that runs too slow? I now assume it was FireFox or IE. But then even 600 Mhz computers runs that software sufficiently fast - at least the ones I have configured or supported. (Computer that has most difficulty also executes apparently 'less efficient' AVG software.)

Finally, the computer was defined by manufacturer and other numbers. Therefore a useful reply was possible - ie UT's memory link. Why do we fix things? To learn this stuff. No numbers means replies tend to be useless, subjective, and speculative. To obtain useful answers means one must post numbers. When numbers mean nothing to one, then those numbers often are the only reason why others will provide a useful reply.

Post 4 was the outline on how to obtain a solution quickly. Three simple paragraphs chock full of useful information. Key nouns provided so that questions could be asked or answered, or confusion eliminated using a long list of other sources. Anwers easily obtained in Windows' Help and Support, or entering "Task Manager" in Wikipedia, or entering "Task Manager" in Google, or searching for "Task Manager" in Micrsoft.com, or clicking on Help in Task Manager, or asking the question here, or ... because key nouns were provided.

Also eliminated in your example was each step numbered, so that questions could referenced the appropriate paragraph and so that each task was defined separately. There was point 1, and point 2, and point 3. Each required responses.

Finally, this is the worst English:

The next time you experience this slowness, ...

Wordy. Vague. And introduces a word that is avoided in good directions - "you".

Slowness is ..... {then defined - or the objective stated}
First identify reasons for slowness by performed all of three following tasks.

My previous complaint remains. Frustration and wasted labor is due to not answering each of the three paragraphs in Post 4.

It is an eMachine. Extra care should be observed when selecting memory. A problem also learned by spending too much time with their tech support. Just another warning.

That machine should be screaming. If the machine is as slow as subjectively implied, then it has more problems than just insufficient memory. How slow is it? Just another in a long list of question answered if all three points in Post 4 been performed or answered.

What indicates that Post 4 provides a best solution? It demands numbers. Especially numbers that mean so little to most people. Been doing this stuff for too many generations. Not decades. Generations. At the age of 13, how many televisions had you repaired? Post 4 was written using grammar and structure similar to what was read in the best instructions and service manuals. Been doing this stuff too long to be anything but blunt and honest.