Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!mcnc!decvax!zinn!ubbs-nh!noel From: noel@ubbs-nh.MV.COM (N. Del More) Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions Subject: Re: Telling people to Read The F Manual (Was: Kill files) Message-ID: <130@ubbs-nh.MV.COM> Date: 22 Sep 89 17:30:15 GMT References: <14695@bfmny0.UU.NET> Reply-To: noel@ubbs-nh.MV.COM (N. Del More) Organization: uBBS-NH (New England Unix Archive) - Nashua, NH Lines: 85 In article <14695@bfmny0.UU.NET> tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes: > Readers should take no offense at 'RTFM' answers here, because > one of the most IMPORTANT lessons for new Usenet users is in fact > to consult all available offline documentation first, BEFORE posting I'd like to take this opportunity to add my $.02 concerning the continuing RTFM battle. 1. It takes up as much if not more bandwidth to follow-up on a users request for information only to tell him to RTFM. 2. Often, the subject in question is not only of immediate concern to the original poster, but of concern and/or interest to other readers as well. Additionally, the poster may have ALREADY RTFM, but may instead be posting in order to clarify his/her understanding of the subject. 3. Telling someone to RTFM does nothing to satisfy his or her need for information, nor does it contribute to the knowledge or under- standing of other readers. 4. Increasingly, users of *nix systems are unfamiliar and/or inexperienced with the Operating System. Additionally, it is also increasingly common that these users are using a system which is based upon microcomputer technology, and as such these sites may not have access to a System Administrator who is as thoroughly familiar with *nix as that found in larger/corporate sites. 5. The FM ( F****** Manual) may not be available for immediate reference. Additionally, the man pages are not routinely bundled with all flavors of *nix. 6. The FM's tend to be written by technically oriented individuals and are in many cases difficult to understand, especially for the newer users and/or non-professional administrators who have not been long exposed to *nix. The point that I'm trying to make is this, it is far more useful to provide a brief, and comprehendable description or remedy to the question poised, and to specifically refer the individual to manual page in question for additional information. For example: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The kill file is a function of the "rn" program and may be used to eliminate the need to read undesired postings. Its syntax is basically: // for example, to junk all articles in the "control" newsgroup having as the subject line "Cancel" the following entry would be added to the $HOME/News/control/KILL file: /Cancel/j further information concerning kill files and other "rn" commands may be found in the rn.1 manual page. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This not only provides the originator of the query with the basic information he/she is seeking but additionally, it provides him/her with the source of further information. Finally, the above example is useful in educating other interested readers, who may or may not even be aware that such a function exists, and which they themselves may find useful. In summary, the RTFM comments often posted do nothing to promote the further understanding of the *nix operating system. As most of us are aware, the learning curve is steep and apparently, to me at least, unending. Not a week goes by where I do not find myself lacking, in some way, the information I need to complete a particular task. Without the benefit of many helpful and understanding members of the USENET community I would be considerably less knowledgeable than I am today. Share the knowledge! Noel P.S. In case anyone is interested, I only recently found myself in need of a kill file, and after a quick scan of the FM inplimented it. But I must add that having read previous articles concerning kill files I was, fortunately, aware of the function and, essentially, its syntax.