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The problem is we live in an "RTFM" culture, where people find it necessary to present all the things they've considered and tried prior to asking the question,
by poulsbohemian 7y ago
The problem is we live in an "RTFM" culture, where people find it necessary to present all the things they've considered and tried prior to asking the question, so that they can be taken seriously and not just get an "RTFM" as the first response to their question. Yes, it would be easier if they could just ask their question without their motives being questioned, but that's not how our system works.
- mirimir 7y agoBefore reading TFA, I was expecting more anti-RTFM advice. So I was surprised by the focus on asking childlike questions. I tend to ask childlike questions, but I follow up with explanation of what I've tried, and RTFM evidence.
- nicbou 7y agoRTFM is necessary because asking a question is cheaper than answering it. People ask a lot of questions they could trivially answer themselves, at the detriment of the community. I moderate a community for a European capital. Without an RTFM policy, we'd spend our days retyping the same answers you could find with a Google search: what to do on a trip there, where to print documents, how to pay a public transit fine etc.