RTDADWTS
My new acronym for a practical strategy in new learning experiences:
Read The Directions And Do What They Say.
In some cases, this may even be shortened to RTD…d (said through clenched teeth)!
Yes, I know that some of us are the adventurous/intuitive sort, who would rather just “play” and see what happens. But when you’re learning how to utilize something that has serious end-result ramifications — an expensive piece of equipment, say, or a grad course you need to pass — reading those instructions might prevent some painful screw-ups.
A friend recently asked if I could figure out why her brand-new (to her) PDA had stopped working. Kim got it last month as a hand-me-down from her daughter, who’d moved up to the latest model. I helped Kim set it up, showed her how to use it, and told her to read the (surprisingly well-written) instruction manual carefully. But Kim didn’t read the manual, and somehow didn’t process the important details about having to recharge and hotsync the PDA often… and now all her carefully inputted data is gone.
And don’t even get me started on students who complain that the teacher’s requirements are too nit-picky. If I’m a devil for the details it’s because I’ve learned the hard way: I once lost out on a very valuable grant because I used the wrong color ink on the application form.
So rule of thumb: there’s probably a reason for those specific and detailed directions. You may not understand them at first, or even like them. Tough.
Just read them and follow them, because you should.
Alice
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Response: Why Reinvent the Wheel?
Reader Comments (2)
You know I think you are wonderful, but this is an issue that calls for a bit more compassion than you've shown.
One of the things I like the MOST about the librarians and techs I work with is that because of their kind guidance, I don't have to spend my time RTDADWTS. I can get right to work with that wee bit of HUMAN guidance and then use the damnable manual for reference and advanced options.
Maybe I am just lazy, but I so appreciate the kind soul who will show me the critical features, give me a stern warning or two, and help when I get stuck or have a problem.
I hate manuals.
For what it's worth...
Doug
There's a difference between reading (or not) the whole manual, vs. willfully ignoring the basic instructions.
I'm always happy to help folks when they don't understand something about the procedure. What I have no patience for are those who *choose to ignore* the specific/immediate directions, e.g,
--the kid who *didn't notice* the due date written prominently in bold at the top of the assignment sheet, and now complains that he shouldn't lose points just because his paper was a week late.
--the college student who didn't use any of the *required* resources because they "didn't sound familiar" so he just Googled for answers.
--the adult who submits an application form done in WordPerfect, even though the instructions clearly state that all documents must be in Office or RTF format.