New Technologies: Sometimes you need a little help...

Here's a fun blast from the past: a 19th-century sign putting users' minds at ease with this newfangled contraption, the electric light bulb. It sure seems funny to us now, but new technology often needs some explanation to users - especially when use patterns are disrupted. Yup, you don't need a match to turn on the light bulb! Here are some modern analogues, off the top of my head:

"Do not attempt to schedule times and channels on Tivo. Simply search for the name of your show."

"Do not listen for a dial tone on your mobile phone. Simply select a contact from your list and press 'call.'"

"Do not attempt to employ the Dewey Decimal System on the internet. Simply type your query into Google."

Ain't technology grand?
[via NextNature, BoingBoing, and Gizmodo]