"Normal" people never just click around and see what happens. They're afraid of breaking something.
The author is not asking for a manual, he's asking for a better design for first time users. I had a similar impression when I tried Quora too. It seems to be mostly designed for power users who have already invested the time to familiarize themselves with the site. However, only tech-savvy people are going to do that, which will make long-term growth difficult for Quora without a design change. On the other hand, it will maintain the overall quality of the site by limiting its appeal and size.
This is a really key insight:
"They're afraid of breaking something..." is an attitude that Software People never understand but is deeply ingrained in most other people.
"Click around until stuff starts to happen and see what sticks" is never a good UI interaction choice and Frontend Software devs need to test all their designs by running it past their (non-computer savvy) grand moms.
The author is not asking for a manual, he's asking for a better design for first time users. I had a similar impression when I tried Quora too. It seems to be mostly designed for power users who have already invested the time to familiarize themselves with the site. However, only tech-savvy people are going to do that, which will make long-term growth difficult for Quora without a design change. On the other hand, it will maintain the overall quality of the site by limiting its appeal and size.