RTFM (was: VERPing and Personalization (was Re: [TriLUG] Iptables help))

[Phillip Rhodes]

Frye, Matthew wrote:

> Mostly, I think it does more harm than good.  
 > <snip>
>  Either way, I feel it's counter-productive.
> It doesn't promote understanding or collaboration, which are the foundations
> of the open source movement.  

+1

I have nothing against the term itself, and have myself told
people to RTFM.  But when I've said that it's always in the
form of giving a minimal response to the question posed,
and adding "RTFM for more info / additional details" or
something to that effect.

There's nothing inherently wrong with suggesting to somebody
that they should do some research, or pointing them to the
"how to ask smart questions" manifesto, as a friendly suggestion.
But some people come across as very condescending and insulting
when they start flinging that stuff around... so they add noise
to the conversation, tick somebody off, and add no appreciable
signal.

Note that I'm not saying anything about anybody in Tri-LUG
specifically... we probably have some of those people, but
I haven't seen much of that attitude here, which I find
to be a good thing.

TTYL,

Phil

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