I came across the start of this in a blog about why MS Word Must Die. Part way down in the comments was a suggestion that the Word help was terrible, but that this was a difficult thing to solve with documentation because people look for why their solution doesn't work rather than for help on the original problem. There's a lot of debate in places on the web about this and some call it the X-Y problem, described below.
While this originated with software developers, the basic problem is the same for every help forum.
Information about asking good questions: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#id307783
http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/66377/what-is-the-xy-problem A little borrowing and rearranging:
The X-Y Problem, as it is sometimes called, is a mental block which leads to enormous amounts of wasted time and energy, both on the part of people asking for help, and on the part of those providing help. It often goes something like this
The problem occurs when people get their train of thought stuck on one approach and become unable to take a step back. Remaining open to having a new look at the bigger picture, these people might find their way back to X and continue searching for alternative solutions. |
How to Avoid
To avoid falling into this trap, always include information about a broader picture along with any attempted solution. If someone asks for more information, or especially a more specific question, do provide details. If there are other solutions which you believe will be suggested and which you've already ruled out, then don't try to avoid going over them again – instead state why you've ruled them out, as this gives more information about your requirements and helps others provide better answers.