My point is this:
If these things are more carefully explained in the documentation accompanying a piece of software - or if there is even some kind of documentation at all - the noob like myself who does not mind reading the documentation before trying to load code, will have a chance to learn these things without taking up the valuable time of the experts on these fora, explaining and re-re-re-explaining what should be obvious, and obviously documented.
I won't disagree that the documentation would be improved. Where I have in issue, though, is with the idea that an Ethernet shield is going to make magic happen.
The process of adding an ethernet card to a PC, back in the days before every computer came with them, was only undertaken by those that understood that the card was not a solver bullet. Magic wasn't going to happen because the card got installed.
Back then, plugging in the card, then saying "Hey, everybody, I've got an ethernet card now, and magic isn't happening" got you strange looks. As it does today when you add an ethernet shield to an Arduino and expect magic to happen.
I still expect that you will have a fundamental understanding of client/server application development before you see the ethernet shield as a necessary component. I expect you to have at least passing familiarity with doing the same stuff with a PC that you want to do with an Arduino with ethernet shield.
Asking for links to tutorials to show you how to use the ethernet shield is an admission that the basic understanding is missing. It is that basic understanding that allows us to tell you to "tweak this, nudge that, and give this other thing a little twist to the left."
I'm fine with us agreeing to disagree.