I wasn't sure where to post this, so apologies if it's in the wrong place. Also, I realize that a philosophical statement might be distasteful to some, so I invite the mods to delete this if they see fit.
I've been a member of this forum for a couple of years now. In the past few months as it has grown, I see a lot of new members both accusing and being accused of everything from being a troll to a shill to an idiot (frequently using those terms). Certainly there are some language barriers and cultural differences that we've always made room for, but I think there is also something else going on.
Humans have a tendency to identify with their beliefs. That is, their beliefs shape how they see themselves as people. Seems obvious, right? When someone's beliefs (and therefore identity) is threatened, they fight back, lash out, become defensive, etc. If a person's identity is (in part) that, "cables make no difference in the sound of an audio system," and someone comes along and says, "I just read this article where someone proves cables make a difference," that sets off an emotional response.
I'll admit to rolling my eyes when I see posts by new members asking for recommendations and then detailing their entire system including power conditioners, expensive cables and interconnects, power cords, etc. so we can make an informed recommendation with appropriate "synergy" (that's what's expected on most audio forums, after all). My eye rolling compulsion is an automatic response that isn't really under my control. I just have to be aware of it and act accordingly. It's tempting sometimes to make a smart-ass remark that is sure to get a dozen "likes" from like-minded members, but I've managed to control myself for the most part.
When we inform people that they are wrong (and we should), sometimes it will cause them to dig in their heels and defend themselves because even well-intentioned rebuttals can come across as attacks. This is inevitable, of course, and knowing why this happens should help us understand how to diffuse a situation that becomes tense. Unfortunately, sometimes those who should simply say nothing go a step further with snarky, rude, or insulting replies. Some visitors or new members who might have been genuinely curious at first are just going to go back to their old audiophile forums and talk about what a bunch of jerks they found.
Many people haven't had any exposure to the ASR way of thinking about audio. Most of the information available on audio equipment is extraordinarily subjective, and there is SO much of it that it becomes hard to believe that ALL these sources of information must be mistaken. Many visitors here are venturing into a whole new world (I can relate to that experience to some extent). We may not change someone's way of thinking with a single forum post, no matter how well reasoned or how much data we provide--it may take some time. If we chase them away with rude or snide comments, they won't hang around long enough to get anything out of this forum. There is a lot to be learned here and a lot of really smart, thoughtful, and knowledgeable people to learn from, so the more people that stick around the better.
