I RTFM, But It's Still Greek to Me

You've heard it from your geeky friends: RTFM, politely translated as 'Read the Freaking Manual.' But what if the manual is unreadable? It's difficult enough to upgrade a motherboard or install new hardware, but it can become a disaster when the only help you've got is a poorly translated, barely legible photocopied manual loaded with vague definitions and unhelpful diagrams. And all too often, that's the way it is.

Krasne, Alexandra. PC World (2001). Articles>Documentation>Technology

RTFM Part II, Looking Beyond the Printed Page

Last month I went through some fairly atrocious documentation. The letters I received from frustrated geeks really drove home the point that bad docs can make what should be a simple, routine, and--dare I say--fun experience, dreadful.

Krasne, Alexandra. PC World (2004). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help