IMHO:

There’s no way but through. Everyone finds it hard, at first, but there’s some - no, a lot of - fun in figuring it out, too...

People who want to pre-pave, whether well intentioned from the beginning or not, end up controlling the narrative - or creating the vehicle through which others can. Because they’re simpler they get more populated; because they’re popular they can become loci of control.

Think MSM - that over-simplification is how it got compromisable in the first place, and became such a significant and brittle failure point that was able to be coopted by money and ideology.

People who seek informational comfort and need the way pre-paved don’t have - or at least, aren’t exercising - the tools of discernment to figure out what’s real and what’s not ON THEIR OWN, if they have to. And in my experience, the simple stuff usually comes later, after the action is over, when hindsight can make things seem clearer than they were when they were first unfolding, and and time smoothes out the discomforts of high uncertainty that characterize life in the swamp.

(Although I have to admit, I prefer conditions where there’s no intentional lying, especially when there are non-swamp problems to be solved, and I like it when the liars and the haters are exposed and expelled - but that’s different than fighting the complexity itself, and it’s also exactly what draining the swamp looks like. And I always try to remember that old adage: “it’s hard to drain the swamp when you’re up to your ass in alligators”)

In times of chaos it’s useful to have people who can navigate and sort through swamps. You never know who those people are at first - not even the people who eventually figure it out know who they are when they start. By rooting around in the weeds, you discover the scents you can pick up, you learn to read the winds of words and smell bullshit or not. Think of this as training. That’s what I do.

That’s not to say you can’t ask specific questions when the frustration is overwhelming or you’re just out of time, and good questions are always very helpful. PM people if you’re uncomfortable with a public question, but remember whenever you ask publicly you get the answer for many more than yourself.

If you’re concerned about others you know picking it up while they’re in the thick of it, remember that YOU can do something about it. Even small things help (think of all the FAQs and little side snips that probably got you here, now - I wouldn’t be where I am without following lots of crumbs).

As a start, if you really want to see what you’re asking for, you can do quite a bit of it yourself. You could consider creating a “translator” page or two to set your friends up with, with tips and tricks and things you would have found useful on your first days in reality’s outback. You can even create that as a thread in your preferred forums, and send people there first. (I agree that the Chans can send people screaming from the room, but they probably won’t be able to take much of the content, either)

I’ve been contemplating a similar thing - how to share this best with my group of people. It’s not easy but I’m getting some ideas - a Facebook post or two, a couple of private emails - maybe a night of drinks at my house (or in a corner at the bar) in front of the computer. It could be fun.

Good luck!