To RTFM and WTFM

[Trigger warning. Some humor involved.]

This is a message from an old geezer who grew up on IBM Manuals. A warped outdated view, of course.

We are all having some trouble figuring out how to handle the complex environment of the new simulator. Of course, it is good for us to puzzle through the different settings and different places we can control those settings, for many different input devices. Puts hair on our chest…so to speak.

Fifty years ago, we would be expected to thumb through those IBM manuals and figure out where the necessary information lay and answer our questions through our own efforts.

If a novice (as noobs were called in those ancient times) asked a grizzled software engineer for help, he (“he” in those days) was told to “RTFM”. Which is to say “Read the Fine (or Fabulous) Manual.” This was seen to be a callous response, one that typified the times – for better or worse.

Of course, IBM had invested the time and personnel to “WTFM” – or “Write the Fine Manual.”

Nowadays, some programmers cannot or will not actually document their work. It is naturally easier to allow users, on their own, to figure out what the software does. In recent years, this has been made possible by energetic users sharing information on the web or on YouTube. As we know, this system works but is imperfect.

In our case with the release of MSFS 2024, we are getting an opportunity to live out the benefits and costs of Googling other users in the hopes that they will have puzzled through Asobo’s software and they will have shared their findings. And that their solutions are indeed correct.

Ah, kids nowadays. 😉
 

Well,  at least here you can read the various Aircraft Manuals: https://www.flightsimulator.com/aircraft-manuals/

At the main support site you can also get some additional info: General and Announcements – Microsoft Flight Simulator Support

I'm sorry Mike, I read that twice and couldn't find any humour (or humor if ya like) in it.

Sadly it is very very true.

Beautifully written though. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐