I absolutely agree with the article on this matter.
While what you're saying is 100% correct, I'm now seeing first-hand (we're dealing with a bunch of new hires at our company, and I'm the most senior developer on the floor) the reasons behind this.
The biggest reason is this: 9 out of 10 hires haven't yet cultivated the art of researching for themselves (we're speaking entry level programming jobs). If you give them an easy way out, yes, they do benefit more in the programming aspect in that they now have an answer and have gained a jewel of information; but they're missing out on researching for themselves. The art of looking for an answer. Cultivation of the persistence that is required of good programmers, both in searching for and implementing any given solution.
These talents are worth more than the coding knowledge itself. The coding is propositional knowledge, but getting the solutions and doing it right is propositional knowledge and worth the wasted weeks.
Research of the sort we are talking here is easy, in that it isn't mentally challenging. Doing a google search and then sifting through all the articles does not require any skills other than patience, just as searching through a 1,000 page book to find the page you want doesn't require anything more than patience.
You don't learn anything by these actions. You learn by understanding the solution, and the sooner you can find an explanation for the solution the better, and in my opinion there is no quicker way of getting to the solution than by asking an expert.
Although to a large extent I agree with you when you say "[Resaerching] talents are worth more than the coding knowledge itself.", I'm not sure you're accurately representing the author's position.
Particularly his last acceptable answer is "If you have a friend who is knowledgeable on the subject... I don't care if you bother someone outside the organization with endless questions."
What the author is interested in is not having new employees disturb old employees with questions, although having new employees understand researching is a solution, it isn't his goal.
While what you're saying is 100% correct, I'm now seeing first-hand (we're dealing with a bunch of new hires at our company, and I'm the most senior developer on the floor) the reasons behind this.
The biggest reason is this: 9 out of 10 hires haven't yet cultivated the art of researching for themselves (we're speaking entry level programming jobs). If you give them an easy way out, yes, they do benefit more in the programming aspect in that they now have an answer and have gained a jewel of information; but they're missing out on researching for themselves. The art of looking for an answer. Cultivation of the persistence that is required of good programmers, both in searching for and implementing any given solution.
These talents are worth more than the coding knowledge itself. The coding is propositional knowledge, but getting the solutions and doing it right is propositional knowledge and worth the wasted weeks.