RTM? Who reads the manual?

[Dan Mages]

Just another silly poll to waste your time. I'm just wondering how many people actually stop and read the manual when they buy something new or put something together.

Dan

[Thomas Bank]

All depends on what it is...

Funny related story - the other week I was at one of the BORG stores in the finishes section picking up a few things. A pair of older women approached me to ask if I knew anything about using stains. I replied that I knew a few things and asked what their question was. Long story short(er) - they had applied the stain but a day later and it was still thick and greasy and didn't look anything like the pictures... Ummm... "Did you wipe it off?" I asked... "Wipe it off? We want to apply it!" was basically their answer. Turning a can around I read the instructions to them (paraphrased) "Apply stain, wait five to fifteen minutes, wipe off with a clean rag, wait twenty-four hours, top coat..."

"Well, how were we supposed to know that we were supposed to do that?"

Ummm... It says to right on the can?

[David G Baker]

Thomas,
WHERE'S THEIR SIGN??????

[Donald Barfield]

Read the manual! I thought that was somthing you do only when all else fails.

[Al Wasser]

We bought a computer over the weekend -- there was no manual. Took 10 minutes to find the darn "on" button.

[Greg Cole]

I say it depends on the situation and the content of said manual. Some manuals are nothing but garbled "metric English" (direct translations to English from the country of origin's native language). Other manuals have very good detailed instructions, drawings etc.
I deal with some large complicated machines at work where the manuals are numerous 3 ring binders with 100's of pages for electrical prints etc.
I've always heard it referred to "RTFM", but that's usually after someone's tried to start up a machine and seems to be having issues.
Reminds me of a college professor I had, if you ran off topic or got something totally wrong he'd strike a line through your work and write in caps "RTFQ".

[mike holden]

Al - of course there was a manual with your computer - its on a pdf file on the hard drive! (grinnnnnnn!)
Mike

[Jim Bowers]

I guess I am in the minority. I always read the manual. First thing I unpack. Lately it has been hard because it may be buried in the packing materials. I read the on line manual before I purchase if it exists on line. It was a hard lesson to learn that the round peg goes into the round hole. Even If I could get a bigger hammer and have it aknowledge that it does fit.

[glenn bradley]

I've been a professional network geek for over 25 years. I RTFM on everything. Compared to the 'light reading' I do at work, tool manuals are a snapshot.

P.s. My ego is stable enough that I also ask for directions ;-)

[Dennis Peacock]

I'm a guy and I don't have a clue what a manual is.

[Eric DeSilva]

I buy most of my tools second hand, so I'm lucky if I get a manual. Sometimes, if I'm stumped, I'll look online for one for a specific purpose, but generally "no," I don't read 'em. Assembling things is different... I'll generally read instructions for that.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm in the sometimes pile. If it is something I've done before, then now. l do read it on new items most of the times. And in cases where I can get a hold of it before the purchase, I'll go through it to make sure it will do what I want. Like the manual for the new GrizzlyG0691. I've read it, and Griz doesn't even have the saw yet!! Jim.

[Mike Henderson]

If it's a major tool, I download the manual and read it before I purchase.

"Minor" tools, I read the manual after I purchase - and sometimes after I use the tool. But I often find additional things I can do (or adjust) by reading the manual.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

While I picked "sometimes" in the poll, I would have liked the option to choose "eventually"...

[Brian Brown]

You're supposed to read that thing?! I thought it was to put in the throne room in case you ran out of the paper on the roll next to the throne!