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However, let's not confuse WHY info (which IMO is always needed) with conceptual info that might be needed by very few users in John's particular case. Not giving the WHY is an insult to the user's intelligence. Did the user do something wrong or is it a temporary network problem? Can the user apply the steps if the problem occurs again in the future or the cause of the problem may be different each time?
It's like I tell the doctor my foot hurts. He/she prescribes medication and explains nothing further. I leave his/her office frustrated. I don't expect him/her to teach me the anatomy of the foot, just tell me briefly what I got, what is the expected outcome of the medication and when will the pain go away. If I want to learn more, I google.
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