You can lead a student to water but you can't make him Think!
I don't think you are doing anyone a disservice by supplying code and
explanations that either go beyond the documentation, or put the
documentation into the context of the problem they are trying to
address (which is what I think you usually do, and what I try to do
when time permits). Some people, especially at first, find it hard
to make the leap from the docs to their own problem space. If you
supply both pointers and your additional helping hand approach, I
don't think you are hurting anyone: Those who just need (or prefer)
a pointer to the docs get one; those needing a little applied
documentation transference also benefit --- and when/if they do read
the docs, your additional demonstrations will probably help them
further understand the docs. Those who blindly use your code without
trying to understand are, well, ... blind by choice. Always remember,
though, that this place is an archive --- just because you might
suspect that the person asking isn't interested in reading the docs
or learning doesn't mean that the next person with a similar question
who happens across (or is pointed to) your post won't gain full
benefit. Fuller explanations may seem wasted on some, but they
are never really wasted.
