https://blog.emailj.net/tags/gatekeeping/Recent content in Gatekeeping on J's BlogHugoenTue, 09 Jun 2026 14:30:00 +0000https://blog.emailj.net/posts/rtfm-gatekeeping/Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:30:00 +0000https://blog.emailj.net/posts/rtfm-gatekeeping/<p>When someone says &ldquo;RTFM&rdquo;<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup>, they appear to mean well. They do not. RTFM assumes everyone knows how to read a manual written by engineers for engineers. That assumption is where gatekeeping begins.</p> <h2 id="the-dichotomy"> The Dichotomy </h2> <p>The Linux community and niche open‑source projects are prime examples. Maintainers<sup id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">2</a></sup> assume any asker already understands what a kernel<sup id="fnref:3"><a href="#fn:3" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">3</a></sup> is, what it means to &ldquo;run&rdquo; a command<sup id="fnref:4"><a href="#fn:4" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">4</a></sup>, and why error messages matter. Users show up with &ldquo;It does not work&rdquo;, expecting answers on a silver platter while providing no failure details.</p>