The RTFM Flame
Read the f***ing manual. Do it. Don't post stupid questions before
consulting the
FAQ or manual. Of course, in some cases there is no
manual (in which case there's no excuse for an RTFM Flame). In others, the manual might not answer your question.
If you go blundering around the net posting the first question that
comes to mind in forum after forum, expect RTFM flameage. To the
extent that this kind of flame encourages people to solve their own
problems, it has salutary effects. A good way to handle those who persist in refusing to RTFM is to politely refer them to the correct manual
or FAQ. An exact page or paragraph reference adds an amusing tone of
condescension.
Judging from billions of "my computer is better than yours" messages,
many people really love their computers. This a sure-fire flame war
starter. Go ahead: log into
Macintosh forum and start posting about
how much greater your PC is than any Mac. Before the flame war has
run its course, someone's bound to chime in about all the wonderful
features of the
Amiga that Mac and PC users miss.
"Advocacy" discussions that compare the features of different
computers or operating systems can be informative. They also get
old quite quickly. If you feel the need to discuss the relative merits of
different technologies, consider posting to one of the many "advocacy"
newsgroups featured in
USENET's "comp" hierarchy (i.e.,
comp.sys.mac.advocacy,
comp.sys.next.advocacy etc.).
Some people hang out in cyberspace to the exclusion of real life activities. It's not good Netiquette to tell them to "get a life." People who tell
others to get a life probably don't have one themselves. If you're on the
receiving end of this kind of flame, grin and bear it. A reply with evidence that you do have a life is unlikely to be effective.
The My-Computer-Is-Better-Than-Yours Flame
The Get-a-Life Flame
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