--On 24 April 2006 13:57:18 +0100 John Burnham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> As a matter of interest, is it posts that just say 'RTFM' that people > consider offensive ? If I were to say, 'RTFM - section foo, subsection bar > and pay particular attention to baz' (as I have done in the past), what > would peoples' attitudes to that be ? The documentation is some of the > best I've ever encountered and often pointing people to the relevant is > the best way to answer some questions. I certainly wouldn't find it > offensive to be given an answer like that. > J. I think RTFM is offensive even with references. Mainly because the 'F' doesn't stand for "fine". <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM>. If you want RTFM to unambiguously mean "Read the fine manual", then you have to type it out. Even "Read the manual" might even be read with the wrong tone, because it's an instruction, rather than advice. "The answer is in the manual at section xxx" would tell me where to find the answer, leaving me the option of looking there, rather than instructing me to do so. "You might find section xxx of the manual helpful" probably can't be read as offensive. Note, lots of people have said that this list is among the least offensive. I agree, and it's also one of the most helpful. Having said that, I think it's useful to try to avoid causing offense, just as one would in any public forum. So, swearing -even in initials- should be avoided where possible. -- Ian Eiloart IT Services, University of Sussex -- ## List details at http://www.exim.org/mailman/listinfo/exim-users ## Exim details at http://www.exim.org/ ## Please use the Wiki with this list - http://www.exim.org/eximwiki/
