Following instructions

I once went to a workshop run by the poet John Hegley, he got us making poetry booklets out of a sheet of A4 paper (the thing where you fold and cut a slit in the middle of the paper). What stayed with me is how he got us to help each other, based on his observation that “some people can’t follow instructions”. It was true, some people were really struggling with following a sequence of clear actions, but we got through by helping each other.

I thought that was super interesting, that a lot of people manage to get through life, through school, work life, social life, without being able to follow instructions. Presumably they’re good at something else instead, but have a block when it comes to instructions. Society demands that we follow instructions all the time, many people find this impossible, and can only get through with support.
Even the mastodon instance I help run requires people to take a minute to follow some clear instructions and I understand that it turns out that most people don’t manage to do that.
So I guess to make really accessible software (or anything really) it’s not enough to have clear instructions, you also need to provide a social space where people can help each other through them. Because no matter how clear the steps are, some just won’t be able to absorb and follow them.

This is about human vulnerability and struggle with the systems we’re supposed to cope with but just don’t work for most people. We get by somehow with the help of our friends but as a result suffer from imposter syndrome and so on. It’s amazing we get anything done really.

(a mastodon repost)