I always suggest to read the manpage(s) because that's where the core documentation is located. Granted, you can search Google.com to find answers, but what happens when you can't get online to use Google? Suppose you're trying to find out how to set your IP address so you can get online. Knowing where to find the information is one of the key things in both Linux and UNIX, and surprisingly, when you get in the habit of reading the manpage(s) for something, you tend to retain the information you've learned from it better and longer than if you just copy/paste something found on the Net.

I also mention the proper manpage(s) for the specific item in question as a reference for further information, along with other sources, if available (like info, apropos, etc.) If anyone is seriously wanting to learn *nix as a trade and not just a hobby, knowing where to find the information to a particular system is crucial.

I may not be the most knowledgable person when it comes to Linux and/or UNIX, but I've been using Linux for the past 8 years (Slackware & Debian) and UNIX (Solaris, HP-UX, and FreeBSD) for about 6, so I know the easy way to find answers to something in a hurry, mainly because I RTFMP :)