The things we got wrong
This page is a log of mistakes—where we list the errors we made, how they happened, and what we did to fix them. It’s not a list of triumphs or a showcase of expertise. It’s proof that even a site about getting things right has gotten things wrong.
A site like this publishes a log of corrections because it’s the only way to earn trust. If we only talk about what we do well, you can’t tell if we’re being honest or just careful with our words.
Here, you can see where we failed, who noticed it, and what we changed. That’s the real work.
Three we had to fix
Here are three mistakes that mattered—each one big enough to affect how people used the site, and each one fixed only after someone pointed it out. The first two were in the code; the third was in the advice itself.
The wrong command in a Linux tutorial
- 1A critical typo in `chmod`
A step-by-step guide to setting file permissions included `chmod 777 *` as an example—even though the article warned against using `777` in production. The mistake stood for three months before a reader pointed out that the command contradicted the lesson. Franklin Boone rewrote the section to use `chmod 755` instead and added a warning about `777` in bold. The old version was purged from search results.
- 2A broken PowerShell script
A script for bulk-renaming files in Windows used `$file.Name` instead of `$file.BaseName`, which caused errors when files had extensions. The script ran silently for two readers before one reported it failing on `.pdf` files. Franklin Boone fixed the variable and added a test case for files with extensions to the tutorial’s ‘Try It’ section.
- 3A Windows troubleshooting guide that didn’t work
A guide to fixing ‘DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN’ errors recommended flushing the DNS cache with `ipconfig /flushdns`, which works on Windows—but the same guide included a macOS command that did nothing. A reader from a mixed-workshop environment flagged the inconsistency. Franklin Boone split the guide into OS-specific versions and added a note: ‘These commands only work on the listed systems.’
What those three changed
These three mistakes led to rules that now shape how we write and test every guide. The fixes were small, but they changed how the site works.
Rules that came from mistakes
- Every command, script, or setting in a guide must be tested in the exact environment it’s written for. (From the Linux `chmod` and PowerShell errors)
- Troubleshooting guides must list the operating systems they apply to, and include a note if steps differ. (From the DNS guide)
- If a reader reports a problem with a guide, we rewrite the affected section—even if it means deleting the original. (All three)
The people behind this
Franklin Boone is the founder and editor of Document Tips. He’s the one who signs the corrections here—not because he’s the only person who makes mistakes, but because he’s the one who has to explain them.
The log above is how you meet him: not as a perfect guide, but as someone who notices when things go wrong and does something about it.
Keeping a log like this is uncomfortable. It means admitting that even after years of writing about tech, there are still things we get wrong. But it’s also the only way to prove that we care about the details—even the ones we missed the first time. The best part?
Readers trust us more when they see us fix things, not just talk about them.
One mistake that wasn’t public happened early on: Franklin Boone wrote a guide on formatting a USB drive as FAT32, but the steps assumed the user was running the command prompt as admin. He didn’t notice until he tried it himself on a borrowed laptop with UAC turned off.
The guide sat unpublished for a week while he rewrote it—no one else saw it fail, but he did. That’s the kind of small, quiet fix that keeps the rest from happening.
If you find something we got wrong, the contact page is where to tell us. No email, no forms—just the words. And if you do, we’ll add it to the next log.
There will be a next one
This list isn’t finished. The next mistake might be a typo in a shortcut key, a review that missed a critical detail, or a guide that worked for one OS but not another. When it happens, we’ll add it here—just like the ones above.
If you spot something we missed, the contact page is the place to say so. No need to explain why it matters; just tell us what didn’t work. We’ll fix it, and if it’s big enough, it’ll go in the next log.
The guides are grouped by category: App, Coding, Hardware, Operating System, Outlook and PowerPoint.