In reply to Bryan's original post-

I agree to a large degree. But the internet is by nature a haven for the baser, meaner aspects of human nature though. Being able to interact with somebody, and saying whatever you like, brings out the worst at times because the most horrid thing can be that you get banned. That's why a lot of childish nonsense goes on

Add that to the fact that the greater majority of people have half-baked ideas or bad grasps of what they talk about, and the results are predictable