[aclug-L] RTFM

[bert <bert@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Read The Fantastic Manual . . . 

earlier today i read that RTFM is "the key to learning."
i can't concur, as it is only one of the keys to learning.
some people are kinesthetic learners, others are visual
while still others are auditory learners. learning happens
in many ways, shapes, and forms. some of us even learn
from experience.

linux, and its various forms and flavors, doesn't necessarily
have a FM. the structures of these flavors
doesn't always transfer from one distro to another.
the neapolitan flavor hasn't reached the market yet.
one still gets only one kernel.

comprehend the fantastic manual would seem to be
better advice, in most instances. and, again, in most
instances, one needs a mentor or instuctor to help
the apprentice along -- to comprehend -- to reach the
desired goal. of course, an apprenticeship or even
residency is accomplished in tiers or levels and these
do take time.

since aclug is a linux users group, all the distros
of linux should be embraced rather than pooh-poohing
one version and simply saying RTFM or read the man
pages or i don't use that, so i can't or don't want
to help.

if one has a question that relates to a distribution
other than debian, and aclug wants to deal only with
the linux users that are using debian, maybe aclug
should change it's name to the debian linux users group.

RTFM seems to be a lame answer some of the time.
documentation is a difficult task for any author,
especially if the author is a programmer.  and that's
why there are editors.  assumed knowledge has to be a part
of any manual.  most editors are not programmers, so
there's a void there and the authors often have added
a tutorial, for a framework, so an editor can say
ok i understand this framework; this is publishable.
one can see this theme in many of the recent manuals
published for dummies or for reading, scanning, or just
having something to look at while one is on the toilet.
and if that last instance is the case, worries about
something to wipe with are eliminated.




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