Poll: The "Read the Fucking Manual" Attitude

[DoPo]

As said several times - the RTFM answer depends. Asking stupid questions to force people to lose their time is even more obnoxious than telling them to go look up the information themselves. For example, I remember a thread here on the Escapist about a month or two ago. The TC didn't understand kickstarter projects and wanted clarification. The problem is that he didn't spend even 5 minutes which would have given him the answers he sought. more precisely, he was asking why would people back up a project when they needed to still buy the games. Well, it branched off to several more questions, all of which could be answered by just going to the kickstarter website itself and clicking on one of the links for more information. It would have literally taken half a minute...OK, call it a minute, to find the answers. Make it another minute or two to read them. Instead he spent pretty much the same time, probably even more, writing comments and everybody who responded basically wasted their time as well.

If it takes less time and effort to ask somebody than look up the information yourself, then it's fine by me. I do it often. If it's the opposite, then, really, why not RTFM instead? After all, somebody wrote the fucking manual to stop the questions in the first place.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Well, the only opinion I have for the 'RTFM' mindset involves video games. Since that's what this site is known for, I'll go with that:

For new games, I always read the manual first. That way, I avoid the bulk of most starting frustration by knowing the mechanics and controls. After all, that's what a manual is for.

But, for things like school, I wouldn't know. Sometimes, people can't properly word what they need to explain, and either a related manual or the internet explains it better, and in more detail. If its told to someone with a helpful intent, go for it. If its meant to be just another way to be an asshole to someone, then forget it.

Really, its about intent. Besides, if what you're doing, regardless of what it is, has a manual available to you, its always smart to at least flip through it first, and even use it as a reference throughout said task.

If you managed to make any sense out of that, congratulations, because I'm not sure I can. But, regardless...

 

[Moderated]

If it's in a book, it's understandable to just ask.
If it's online, they are just being lazy/don't know about the find function/google.

 

[applesandoranges]

edit

 

[xshadowscreamx]

you could ask a friend that has already played the game to help you.

 

[Total LOLige]

This thread sucks. Read the fucking thread manual.

Honestly though, its rather annoying to have people ask you questions over and over when all they need to do is read the fucking manual or head to that oh so new and unknown discovery called bloody Google.

People in my friends list on Facebook still message me for help with their English home work. Some 14 year old ***** from my old school I had never talked to once added me to ask me for help translating a sentence. I mean, seriously! Google has a tool for that shit! Just fucking use it!

Smash, I'd do the same thing your English is better than mine and I'm English. You are German aren't you?

 

[Joccaren]

Yes, you should read the f***ing manual.

You might find it annoying being told to read the manual, but think about how that person feels when they're trying to concentrate on what they're doing, when suddenly one or more people come up to them and ask them how to do some simple trick that is available in that small little book that they probably have right next to them, that they could read for 20 seconds and find the answer, rather than bothering the person trying to concentrate.

If its something obscure, that you need to use Google for: Asking is justified. If you have to actively spend a while going through a search engine to find results on something that is advanced, or not explained by the game devs, then I have no problem with people asking someone instead.
When you ask for something that is included with the packaging of the game, that you didn't bother reading 'cause you just wanted to get in and be pro or something, and don't want to bother reading 'cause it would be a waste of your time - don't expect others to waste their time explaining something to you that simply opening up a readily available and easily findable piece of information that you really should have read before beginning whatever task you are undergoing. Its not fair, its you being obnoxious and lazy, and not wanting to do any work to understand something.

If you don't understand something, say that, and then its justified. If you simply don't want to bother reading the manual that's sitting next to you - don't try to ask me how to do something.

 

[miketehmage]

I usually try to avoid quoting the OP but I wanted to highlight this part in particular.

Sometimes I find it easier to ask someone how things work rather than trawling through a few pages of information to find it myself.

We all do. But that person had to trawl through pages to find it. Why should he be the one trawling through pages to provide you with an explanation?

There is always two sides to an argument.

 

[tobi the good boy]

If the answer is in the manual that was provided and you chose to completely ignore it, I see no reason to have to be nice and explain things to you.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I find pretty annoying well people tell me to do that. Usually these things don't have them, and if they did I've either read it or it's been unhelpful. I guess some people asking really simple stuff would be worthy of it though.

 

[SlaveNumber23]

Sure, people really should work it out themselves but it isn't always the case where they are able to, so what do they do? They ask for help and then some dickhead goes out of their way to tell them to work it out themselves instead of actually helping them or answering their question. People who tell others who are asking for help "work it out yourself" etc are infuriatingly pretentious dicks, if you aren't going to help them then don't bother saying anything at all. Everyone who has ever asked for help has considered doing it themselves.

 

[JEBWrench]

If the answer's in the manual, then RTFM is justified.

 

[mirage202]

RTFM is essential. Hell if more people did that, perhaps common sense could be reborn? then we wouldn't have to babysit the stupids with "CAUTION: CONTENTS MAY BE HOT!" warnings on coffee.

 

[Versuvius]

Know whats bad? Running a PnP game, giving players months notice, knowing they have nothing better to do and then one of them going "So what does this roll mean, i didn't read the manual". In fact. It's not just bad, it's the worst rage you will ever feel. RTFM or you will rapidly find yourself sat with your thumbs up your ass and everyone hating you.

 

[Loonyyy]

Since usually you only know by having read the manual, or, in the case of University, reading the lecture notes, it's simply obnoxious being asked how to do something that they should know. If you have to paraphrase the source material they should have read, and clearly haven't, then not only is the person not worth your time, but they're not worth their own time. Clearly they don't care about knowing it all that well, so why should you help them?

 

[DarthVella]

It's simple. RTFM is absolutely essential. You have no idea how annoying it is to be constantly asked the simplest of questions that could be answered by taking a minute out of your own damn time and reading it yourself.

Of course, if the questioner regularly does their own research with TFM or Google, I'm only too happy to help out with any problems they have.

 

[Warforger]

Depends, if it's say a video game then yah I don't want to read pages upon pages of a manual of things that are already explain in the tutorial bored out of mind when I should be playing the goddamn game and enjoying myself. If a game forces you to read the manual to figure out how to play it that's not a good sign.

If it's work/ academics then goddamn it unless it's a really difficult concept read the goddamn textbook or figure it out yourself, if anything that's better for you because you are your best teacher since you know when you understand something or don't. When someone else tries to teach you it gets embarrassing if you don't understand it after they explained it and often you'll lie to yourself that you understand it.

 

[Vault101]

one example

in ME3 it really feels like charachters go all "encyclopedia"...I dont knwo if thats to refresh peoples memorys or few people who started at ME3

I dont think its nessicary, its just annoying

if you have started at ME3, don't bother to read the codex then theres no excuse if your confused