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http://knowyourmeme.com/system/icons/858/thumb/RTFM.jpg?1252341177
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Rtfm
http://knowyourmeme.com/system/icons/858/square/RTFM.jpg?1252341177
2009-09-07T16:32:58Z
Various apocraphal sources
1979
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
true
active
30
RTFM
<h1>About <span class="caps">RTFM</span></h1>
<p><span class="caps">RTFM</span> is an initialism for “Read The Fucking Manual.”</p>
<p>One of the earlies known instances of <span class="caps">RTFM</span> in print was in the Table of Contents of the 1979 <span class="caps">LINPACK</span> Users’ Guide; the manual for using the <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINPACK><span class="caps">LINPACK</span></a> linear algebra software library written for <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran>Fortran</a> programming language.<br />
The text appears as a quote, attributed to Anonymous.<br />
<blockquote><br />
Table of Contents<br />
“R.T.F.M.” —Anonymous</p>
<p><span class="caps">PREFACE</span> ……………………………………………………..v<br />
<span class="caps">INTRODUCTION</span><br />
1.Overview……………………………………1.1<br />
2.Usage…………………………………………1.2<br />
…</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><span class="caps">RFTM</span> on <a href=http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=RTFA>UrbanDictionary</a></li>
</ul>
<h1>Related Terms:</h1>
<h2>R.T.F.A.</h2>
<p><span class="caps">RTFA</span> is an initialism for “Read The Fucking Article,” popular on Fark, Digg, and other social news aggregates.</p>
<p>One of the eariest known instances of <span class="caps">RTFA</span> that appears on the web is in the comments section from <a href=http://slashdot.org/articles/00/09/08/1622204.shtml>a Slashdot post on September 8th, 2000</a>, from user <a href=http://slashdot.org/~PurpleBob>PurpleBlob</a>:<br />
<blockquote><br />
Okay. There’s a really cool thing you can do to help clear up this “vague assertion”. It’s called… <span class="caps">RTFA</span> [lycos.com].</p>
<p>People shouldn’t have to repeat information from the article for your convenience.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href=http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=623970&hl=FDA-drops-warnings-from-products-containing-olestra-saying-they-dont-give-a-crap>One of the first known instances of <span class="caps">RTFA</span> on Fark</a> occurred on August 20th, 2003, in a post by user Obi-Juan<br />
<blockquote><br />
Damn that’s a good headline!</p>
<p>/hasn’t <span class="caps">RTFA</span></p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><span class="caps">RTFA</span> on <a href=http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=RTFA>UrbanDictionary</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h2>L.M.G.T.F.Y.</h2>
<p>“Let Me Google That For You”</p>
<p><span class="caps">LMGTFY</span>.com was <a href=http://who.godaddy.com/WhoIs.aspx?domain=lmgtfy.com&prog_id=godaddy>registered in November of 2008</a>, and allows users to provide an idiot-proof method for training people to look things up for themselves.</p>
<p><b>Usage:</b><br />
Person 1 asks a question that could easily be answered by simply Googling for it.<br />
<blockquote><br />
How do we know that Fox News isn’t fair and balanced?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Person 2 replies by pasting a link created with lmgtfy.com.<br />
<blockquote><br />
<a href=http://lmgtfy.com/?q=McClellan+confirms+white+house+Fox+News+propaganda>Let me google that for you.</a></p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href=http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tl-dr>TL;DR</a> is the antithesis of <span class="caps">RTFM</span> and <span class="caps">RTFA</span>.</li>
<li>In the absense of a Manual, one may be advised to <a href=http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lurk-moar>Lurk Moar</a>.</li>
</ul>
2009-11-12T21:29:47Z
858
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http://knowyourmeme.com/system/icons/858/original/RTFM.jpg?1252341177