There’s always that “beyond the scope of this article” / “prerequisite knowledge of __ is assumed” problem.
PHP docs a case in point. The examples often leave out a lot of what should be being done, focusing only on the minimum amount for demonstration purposes.
The examples get copied / pasted and tested, they work, time to move on…
Maybe it’s like recycling. We may not save the planet, but if we each made our best effort it just might have some effect.
Our biggest Telco had a TV ad about getting a new phone last year, in which people excitedly opened their new phones and left the packaging on the beach. I thought, WTH? Would it really have hurt them to show the packaging being thrown in a recycle bin? Setting a good example isn’t that hard, but it makes a difference.