Jenda, at one level I'd have to agree that an answer should be targeted to the person asking. When I write answers (I tend to answer people asking basic questions in SOPW) I look for links and embed them in the text at appropriate places. I try to write code and run the code that I write and place both in the answer, when appropriate.

However in defense of our occasional curmudgeon, they perform a necessary task. They are the first to be irritated when someone asks the same question four or five times, and to tell them to stop. And yes, sometimes the folks wedded to a terse, blunt reply will answer the question of a raw beginner.

I'll simply point out there is no law preventing other people from answering at those times as well. One of the real gifts of Perl Monks are the questions with several replies, showing four or five ways to resolve problems, and two or three lucid explanations of the problem. It enriches everyone.