Sure, but "coalition of the willing" readers always has a potential of formation ;)

I imply that it's generally more polite to leave an option of search & dig for yourself after an allusion which seems opaque. I recall Eco forbade footnotes in editions of his works, even well before the "autumn of the Modern Ages". The search panel is always looming one screen/one tab away; along the road of search, it's possible to glean something unexpected. I personally do just that, while unraveling some culture code snippets, slang phrases et al.

It may emulate a pawn (book)shop of sorts, where one always stumbles upon something that has next to nothing with initial purpose of the visit. Online marketplaces tend to uproot such an experience sneakily.