Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:16:04 -0700 From: Johnson David <davidjohnson@siemens.com> To: 'cali' <calculus@softhome.net> Cc: advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: RE: Explaining FreeBSD features Message-ID: <6F2F8FD3FBCF7A489CB18912A4807EBA0E0866@mvwcim1a.acuson.com>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
From: cali [mailto:calculus@softhome.net] > > The idea is, the newbie gets repeatedly told "RTFM", so that eventually > they get the idea that they must work it out for themselves because they > develop this inner fear of asking for help and being ridiculed, ie they > don't want to portray themselves as a "lamer". Usually it works. If by "works", you mean people leave the community, then you are correct. We all know what "F" in "RTFM" means. While we may not say it with those words anymore, we still often say it with the same abusive attitude. It's far more productive to say "RTM" than "RTFM". It is an unfortunate fact that many other communities have trained their users to never read their manuals. Some communities don't even have decent manuals to read. We should not be punishing these users for their ignorance on the proper means to ask questions. Let them "RTM". The next time tell them "RTM on page 29". If they say they've read the manual but haven't, tell them "sorry", but don't abuse them. They're not lying so much as doing what they've been trained to do. Only when they persist in not reading the manual so you flame them a new orafice. And then do it off list. David
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?6F2F8FD3FBCF7A489CB18912A4807EBA0E0866>