RTFM

Template:Short description Template:Other usesRTFM is an initialism and internet slang for the expression "read the fucking manual"<ref>Sometimes censored as "Read the Friendly Manual"</ref>Template:Sndtypically used to reply to a basic question where the answer is easily found in the documentation, user guide, owner's manual, man page, online help, internet forum, software documentation or FAQ.

Usage is variously viewed as a pointed reminder of etiquette to try to find a solution before posting to a mass forum or email alias;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> helping a newer user (colloquially and demeaningly referred to as a noob within internet culture) to improve themselves;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as a useless response;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or as a hostile and elitist response.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Polite usages would mention where one has looked when asking a question, and to provide an exact location or link where exactly to RTFM.

In expurgated texts, substitutions such as "read the frickn' manual", "read the factory manual", "read the field manual", "read the flaming manual", "read the fine manual", "read the friendly manual", "read the [pause] manual" or similar variants are used.<ref>Howard, Michael, David LeBlanc, and John Viega. 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security: Programming Flaws and How to Fix Them. New York: McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2005. Template:ISBN.</ref>

If there is no appropriate content in the manual but the answer is frequently seen in the forum, a similar response in internet culture might be to Lurk moar, meaning to observe the forum for a time before asking questions.

A related phrase is "let me Google that for you" (LMGTFY). In this case, the "manual" is the World Wide Web, so one of several search engines such as Google could be used to look up the answer. In many cases, doing so provides an answer in less time than it takes to ask someone else the question. The range of usage is similar to that for RTFM.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

List of similar initialisms

Template:Visible anchor – "read the bloody manual"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Visible anchor – "read the fucking question"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Visible anchor – "read the fucking/featured article"– common on news forums such as Fark<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Slashdot, where using "TFA" instead of "the article" has become a meme Template:Cn
Template:Visible anchor – "write a better manual" – an answer complaining that the manual is not written well<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Visible anchor – "read the fucking source" or "read the fucking standard" or "read the fucking syllabus"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Visible anchor – "read the fucking binary"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Visible anchor – "search the fucking web"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>