If you are answering “RTFM” too much on irc, the mailing list, or the forum, it may indicate the following problems

• TFM is poorly organized If you keep referring people over and over to the same part of the manual, it may be that the manual is poorly organized and people can’t find the information that they need. Your site search engine may not be working too well either.

• TFM is poorly written If people do read the documentation yet they ask questions that should be answered by the manual, then you have poorly written or out of date manual.

• You are burnt out on helping the community Do yourself and the community a favor, and take a break from the listserve, the forum, stackoverflow, etc. You are not helping newbies and you are not helping yourself at this point. Let others help beginners now.

Remember, RTFMing is outright rude and anti-social, and it will make people run away from your community and technology. Having people choosing your technology is a privilege, and their questions are helping you to find problems in the documentation.