RTFM is an

initialism An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

and

internet slang Internet slang (also called Internet shorthand, cyber-slang, netspeak, digispeak or chatspeak) is a non-standard or unofficial form of language used by people on the Internet to communicate to one another. An example of Internet slang is "LOL" m ...

for the expression "read the fucking manual" – typically used to reply to a basic question where the answer is easily found in the

documentation Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance and use. As a form of knowledge manageme ...

user guide A user guide, also commonly known as a user manual, is intended to assist users in using a particular product, service or application. It's usually written by a technician, product developer, or a company's customer service staff. Most user guid ...

owner's manual An owner's manual (also called an instruction manual or a user guide) is an instructional book or booklet that is supplied with almost all technologically advanced consumer products such as vehicles, home appliances and computer peripherals. ...

man page A man page (short for manual page) is a form of software documentation usually found on a Unix or Unix-like operating system. Topics covered include computer programs (including library and system calls), formal standards and conventions, and ev ...

online help Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through computer software. It is a form of user assistance. The purpose of most online help is to assist in using a software application, web application or operating syst ...

internet forum An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...

software documentation Software documentation is written text or illustration that accompanies computer software or is embedded in the source code. The documentation either explains how the software operates or how to use it, and may mean different things to people in ...

or FAQ. Usage is variously viewed as a pointed reminder of etiquette to try to find a solution before posting to a mass forum or email alias; helping a

noob Newbie, newb, noob, noobie, n00b or nub is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Contemporary use can particularly refer to a beginner or new user of computers, often concerning Internet ac ...

to improve themselves; as a useless response; or as a hostile and elitist response. Polite usages would mention where one has looked when asking a question, and to provide an exact location or link where exactly to RTFM. In expurgated texts, substitutions such as "read the frickn' manual", "read the factory manual", "read the field manual", "read the flaming manual", "read the fine manual", "read the friendly manual", "read the ausemanual" or similar variants are used. If there is no appropriate content in the manual but the answer is frequently seen in the forum, a similar response might be to Lurk moar, meaning to observe the forum for a time before asking questions.

List of similar initialisms

* – "read the bloody manual" * – "read the fucking/featured article"– common on news forums such as

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and

Slashdot ''Slashdot'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''/.'') is a social news website that originally advertised itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters". It features news stories concerning science, technology, and politics that are submitted and evalu ...

, where using "TFA" instead of "the article" has become a

meme A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...

* – "read the damn article" * – "read the damn menu" * – "read the damn manual" * – "write a better manual" – an answer complaining that the manual is not written well * – "read the fucking documentation" * – "read the fucking error" * – "read the fucking manual for once" * – "read the fucking wiki" * – "read the fucking chart" – a response that physicians give to coders who submit inappropriate queries * – "read the fucking source" or "read the fucking standard" * – "read the fucking binary" * – "read the fucking question" * – "read the manual, stupid" * – "search the fucking web" * – "

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

is your friend" * – "just fucking

it" * – "do your own research" * , – "let me Google that for you"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rtfm Internet slang Technical communication Acronyms de:Liste von Abkürzungen (Netzjargon)#R

List of similar initialisms

See also

References

External links