In Writing is Also Important Francis Dion talks about finding an interesting article
... I stumbled on an article titled "Read and Write for a Better Integration". No, it wasn't about source code integration but social integration, telling how words communicate daily anecdotes, news from the world as well as everybody's rights and obligations. Lacking the power to decode them, many are marginalized and feeling the pain of exclusion.
Here is a different way to look at the reason people like to have actual contact with experts, rather than having to work through databases to find the write-ups and expert opinion. Sure, it is possible for me to find the information, and I frequently use these resources for quick checks and background information. But when I need the skinny on a subject or I need a recommendation, nothing beats sitting down with someone (or on the phone), and working through my questions and problems.
This is the drive behind using narrative and storytelling as means for transferring understanding, meaning, and even some knowledge.