Online Assistance

When I first began using computers back in the 80's, the acronym RTFM was quite popular. And it remains so, because so many people would rather ask someone how to do something than to spend the energy to learn themselves. Since the advent of the Internet, the correllary to RTFM is STFW. It stands for "Search the Fucking Web." Those same folks who won't read the manual are still around, and they are now too lazy to type a search term into the Google search engine and review the results to find the answers to their questions. They "don't have the time," they tell you, to do that. They apparently think you have unlimited time to meet their needs in explaining what you have learned from doing the things they don't have the time to do.

Having vented my spleen at the lazy bastards who rely on others to help them learn how to use technology, let me now acknowledge that I too have benefitted from the instruction that others have shared with me online. So I really should shut up and realize that I am as guilty as anyone else of doing these things.

One of the places where I have benefitted most from the knowledge and expertise of other people is at the Retouching forum at Digital Photography Review. This collection of folks with a similar interest has been exceptionally helpful in learning how to improve the digital photos I have taken. If you have a hobby and want to gain expertise in pursuing it, Interenet Interest Groups provide a wonderful source of support and expertise. If you are willing to devote the time to lurk and follow the threads as one person helps another, it is amazing how much you can pick up.
- posted by Perry @ 10:03 AM