Dumb

When I began my career as a technical writer on 2/10/1995, I had never heard of or viewed any documentation with an intentionally blank page within it to aid in the page layout. Thus, I distinctly recall shortly after beginning work at NDP about blank pages to aid in the page layout of the documentation.

Except the page isn't blank.

If the page has text on it, it's not blank.

Putting that aside, the way I always thought these pages should be used is in the scenario where a section of the documentation ends on an odd page and, to ensure that the next section begins on an odd page, the even numbered page on the back of the odd page that ends the section could have "This page intentionally left blank."

So, with that in mind, this is my professional opinion. 

I think it is flat-out DUMB to have the last page of documentation, especially when it ends on an odd numbered page, have text like "LAST PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK."

What's the point of this page? If the document is printed duplex, the 107th page would have a "front" - stating that the last page is blank - and no text on the back of that 107th page (page 108). In the case of this document, page 108 would actually be the last page of the documentation and would actually be blank.

Here's another dumb thing within the same documentation.

• On page 21, the footer says "Updated Feb. 2020":  
• On page 22, the footer says "Updated February 2020."

What is so evil about consistency?!?