Nobody Reads Documentation Anymore (And It is a Problem)

RTFM. Read The F***ing Manual.

An ancient proverb. A dying art. 📜

📚 The Death of Documentation Reading

When I started coding, learning a new library meant:

1. Open the documentation
2. Read the "Getting Started" guide
3. Read the API reference
4. Understand the concepts

Now, learning a new library means:

1. Ask AI "how do I use [library]"
2. Copy the code
3. If it works, move on
4. If it doesn't, ask AI again
5. Never actually understand what's happening

Did you know? A survey found that 60% of junior developers say they "rarely or never" read official documentation. They ask AI or watch YouTube instead.

🤖 The AI Documentation Layer

AI has become a translation layer between you and the docs.

What docs say:

"The useEffect hook accepts a dependency array as its second argument. The effect will re-run when any value in this array changes."

What you ask AI:

"Why does my useEffect run infinite times?"

What AI tells you:

"You forgot the dependency array. Add [] for mount-only, or add your dependencies."

You got the answer. But did you learn the concept? Did you understand WHY?

Probably not. You'll ask the same question in 3 months. And then again in 6. (Narrator: He has asked this question seven times this year. He's not proud.)

🧠 The Knowledge Gap

Here's what happens when you don't read docs:

Did you know? Reading documentation activates different parts of your brain than watching videos or chatting with AI. It builds stronger long-term memory and conceptual understanding.

😤 The Generational Divide

Senior devs: "Just read the docs!" Junior devs: "The docs don't explain what I ACTUALLY need!"

Both are partially right.

Problems with docs:

• Often outdated
• Assume prior knowledge
• Written by people too close to the code
• Lack practical examples
• Buried in marketing fluff

Problems with not reading docs:

• You miss 80% of the features
• You don't understand error messages
• You reinvent solutions that already exist
• Your mental model is shallow

🔥 My Controversial Take

Reading documentation is a skill. We've stopped teaching it.

In school, we learned to research from books and papers.

Now we just ask AI.

Both get you answers. Only one builds deep understanding.

I'm not saying "never use AI." I use it constantly.

I'm saying: when you're learning something new, read the damn docs first.

📖 How to Actually Read Docs (A Lost Art)

1. Start with "Getting Started" — Obvious, but many skip it
2. Skim the API reference — Know what's available
3. Read the "Concepts" or "Philosophy" section — Understand the WHY
4. Look for "Common Mistakes" or "FAQ" — Learn from others' pain
5. THEN use AI — For specific implementation questions

This takes 30 minutes more than just prompting AI.

It saves hours of confusion later. Hours you could spend on something more interesting, like abandoning more side projects. (See previous blog.)

🎯 The Bottom Line

AI is amazing for getting unstuck on specific problems.

AI is terrible for building foundational understanding.

If you only ever ask AI, you'll know a lot of answers but understand very little.

The docs are right there. They're free. They're written by the people who built the thing.

Maybe... just maybe... read them? 📚