You gave an example of an answer, after which people should know what to look up.

I pointed out legitimate reasons why a beginner would find that answer not helpful, and then proceeded to say that the answer is one I would give, but I would handle possible confusion by being ready with a list of useful references if the follow-up indicated confusion.

How did you get from that to the insane conclusion that I thought all posts should include the documentation for everything you used in answering the question?

People with unexpectedly poor backgrounds are like possible tangents in a conversation. They come up every so often, and you handle them with a lazy algorithm. If the person apparently has less background than your first response assumed, you deal with it by politely pointing out appropriate existing answers and tools.

In reply to Reading comprehension? by tilly
in thread Writing answers for newbie questions by cLive ;-)

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