You'd probably enjoy reading Spolsky's announcement for the Stack Overflow project from back in '08: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/04/16.html http://

You'd probably enjoy reading Spolsky's announcement for the Stack Overflow project from back in '08: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/04/16.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/04/16.html > But here's the concept: > Programmers seem to have stopped reading books. [...] The goal from day 1 has been to foster a community that would be empowered to create something of lasting value. That doesn't preclude hand-holding... But it doesn't demand it either; whether or not that happens is up to the folks who make up the site, the folks asking and the folks answering. In the 7+ years since that was written, many thousands of people have donated their time and knowledge to help their peers, both in the immediate sense of writing an answer to address a specific question, and in the sense of leaving artifacts for future readers with the same question. But of course there's room for improvement. And if you're willing to step up, you can be a part of that improvement. Go find someone who lacks knowledge and gently guide them; encourage your friends to do likewise. The platform is there, empowering you to create the environment you wish to see... If you aren't doing it, that's on you.