R.T.F.M?

[nihil]

I found this rather amusing:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03...t_forum_email/

[steve.milner]

Priceless.

I'll suggest this to our IT department.

Regards,

Steve

[Cider]

LOL, legend stuff.

Yes this does become ridiculous when supporting hardware or software and you keep getting asked the same questions over and over!

[nihil]

To be honest with you Cider, if I kept getting asked the same question over and over, I think it would be time that I reviewed my user manual.

Actually, user manuals are damn difficult to write, as you know your subject and you subconsciously assume some background knowledge on the part of the reader?

I remember when I first got involved in support back around 1980.........it was IBM hardware and software (apart from our in-house developed stuff). There must have been around 120 IBM manuals that were each the size of an encyclopedia.......... hell, it was as good a qualification as a BSc to actually know your way around them

Now, I know that users expect a computer to work just like a refrigerator these days. It isn't like the old days when you bought DOS 4.1 and got a manual about 2" thick.................all you get now is a bit of cardboard, the shrinkwrap and a pamphlet full of legal disclaimer crap.

They are not going to read electronic or online manuals, they are not going to your website and look at the FAQ, they are not going to the product's forum and ask there............they are going to telephone you, because you took their money.

Manuals?................. they probably threw them out with the wrapping

[Cider]

Yes Yes, same old saying

I bought a new vacuum the other day and the wife and I couldnt figure out how this things goes together. She got in such a fuss and was on the phone to the retailer where we bought it.

before she got through to someone i asked her to put the phone down so we can RTFM ...

She asked what was this RTFM. Made some coffee went through the diagrams on the manual with her and walaa it worked.

Now I agree that they are not going to read manual but it should be basic practise to learn abit about your product that you are buying.

If we sell a cloud our cloud based software which is "managed" from the cloud then I can understand but a retail product, RTFM imho.

[morganlefay]

Nobody RTFM

Thats what they pay me to do

I have read some of the worst manuals in my day.....Ricoh is still at the top of the list.

Translated from Japanese.....just brutal...badly organized and confusing to say the least.

Lately the MS Tech Knowledge base articles are vague to say the least

"MS has confirmed there is a problem"


MLF