RTFM
 

RTFM:
Upon reading another thread I didn't know what this meant so I went to the "Urban Dictionary":

Literally "Read The F**king Manual"; a term showing the frustration of being bothered with questions so trivial that the person asking could have quickly figured out the answer on their own with minimal effort, usually by reading readily-available documents. People who say "RTFM!" might be considered rude, but the true rude ones are the annoying people who take absolutely no self-responsibility and expect to have all the answers handed to them personally.
"Damn, that's the twelfth time that somebody posted this question to the message board today! RTFM, already!"

Naw, I look at it differently. I've been buying cars since 1952 and I've bought enough new cars that I know what a manual is and pretty much what it covers.

I don't forget that on a forum like this there is a mix of people that is unimaginable. You have young kids who have bought their very first car. Perhaps the sales person failed to walk them thru it. You have people that perhaps English is their second language and could be having difficulty with their manual. Truth is I don't know but when someone asks a question I try to treat them the way I would like to be treated and RTFM isn't that way.

I can relate to both sides.
The manuals these days have a lot more information than they did in the 20th century.
I don't know why it irritates me; there are some situations where it seems such a waste of time to ask a question that you can answer yourself without wasting other people's time or cluttering up a resource other people use to look for answers.
Seems a bit selfish.

In a face to face situation I'm more willing to help and will go through the process of finding that information with them if I can.
Then you have casual conversations or collaboration which then information flows freely but the minute you say something stupid I'm gonna bust your nuts! In a fun way of course!

Some people live on a spoonfeed. And it's fairly easy to tell. I don't mind being that jerk that provides a little resistance or tension.

That said, I'm more that willing to help someone that's demonstrated they've at least made an effort to find out what they can beforehand.

To me.... Why cant people use google to ask their questions? I have never not found something I was looking for on google....

@CicuitJerk
Ditto, it's easy to tell when someone has done nothing to help themselves. It's really irritating too. And this can apply to anything.
@Outlawstar98
Because then there would be no questions asked, which means there would be no answers found...it's a loop.

Yup! From the lyrics to the A-Team theme song to a recipe for oatmeal cookies using Quacker Oat instant packets, Google has it all! The irony is, chances are pretty good a question about the 86 is gonna bring you right back here, where someone who hasn't RTFM already asked. :lol:

It's a sad state of affairs when you have to read the manual to operate the radio. Some cars even have a separate radio manual. What happened to the old days when you knew intuitively how to work things. The radio on the FRS is an ergonomic disaster.

I got a pet peeve with people asking why their tire pressure light is on...without checking their tire pressure first. It's pretty much like asking why the fuel light comes on.

It could also be a case like: Well, let's see, I could put on my boots, jacket and gloves and go outside and wipe the snow off the trunk and get my owners manual or, while I'm setting here in this warm, cozy house in front of my computer, I could just ask. After all, I'm sort-of new on this forum and this will give me a chance to have a little interchange. What to do ???

Spend less time browsing /b and actually read the manual.

The first thing I do when I buy a car is read the manual cover to cover.

Maybe people like to feel involved and enjoy making conversation on message boards since they want to feel like part of a community.

Sort of like... how... I'm doing now...

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...63/430/3a0.jpg

It WOULD be a "sad state of affairs" if we only had AM/FM (or just AM, for that matter) and two dials, one for on/off/volume, and the other for dialing. Later came pushbuttons (radio frequency presets), then stereo, then balance and fade, CD player, USB...........

Check EBAY for a 49 Chevy, Ford.........

Point: It is not just a radio any more.

Standby for replacement of the 'touchscreen'.

Try changing the bass quickly....multiple screens plus taking your eyes off the road. Progress? I think not.

Its a forum thats what its meant for asking and answering questions