I've heard this argument before.

I usually answer a question with a question (girls do those things)... "At what User Level do you pitch your manual at?".

If you write a piece of Accounting Software for example, does your User Manual have to be a complete idiots course in Accounting?

At some point your Manual stops becomming a 'Product Manual' and starts becoming a full-blown educational course in Accounting (or in this case programming).

I'm no different to you Andrew (other than in the obvious places!), I started with the same Compiler, same Manual, same PICs, same Datasheet, same Internet Connection, same PDF Reader, and same PC running probably the same OS. I DIDN'T study PICs or PROGRAMMING at University. I DID look at some example programs. I DID make a Blinky LED. I DID Connect an LCD so that I could figure for myself what results I got when I converted variables, or did math, or any of the other things that mysteriously happen inside the PIC. Now there's NOTHING stopping anyone else on this forum doing the same.

If you don't know something, then FIND OUT why, what or wherefore. And there's no better way of learning than by doing.