Good OP New Hope, even though it doesn't seem to be drawing a lot of attention. I agree with you, but the anonymity provided by the Internet allows dumbasses to say anything in any manner. In addition, the world wide web allows for a 'leveling' of the playing field so that dumbasses and smart people can both appear to have a point. In a controlled environment with a rational, educated audience, the dumbasses wouldn't even be invited to the forum, much less be able to hijack or contaminate the discussion.
Spelling and grammar and other communication issues don't really bother me (they would if I was still teaching college). What really annoys me is that so many dumbasses show a deep lack of respect of:
a. the topic (if you don't know anything about it keep quiet, avoid the keyboard, go to google scholar, read a book, or otherwise know wtf you are tallking about when you approach the keyboard). And going quickly to the www to find the first confirmation bias article is not research;
b. debating protocols - debates in the rational grown up world are about 2 things - facts and the correct interpretation of those facts. Anything else is an opinion or a debating strategy employed by someone who doesn't know what they are talking about and are seeking to 'win' points. Show some humility and frame an opinion as an opinion. It amazes me how many dumbasses quickly and arrogantly express entrenced views in disagreement with the absolute experts on a topic who have advanced degrees and decades of experience on a topic while they themselves have nothing more than a high school diploma from Dumbass High; and
c. other posters and lurkers - arrogantly and childishly taking up space that could better be used wastes everyone's time, and as Cofty and others have rightly pointed out, dumbass views can infect others.
Wiinning 'points' on the world wide web is a given; any dumbass viewpoint immediately collects a cadre of like-minded dumbass adherents, which is an annoying thing about the 'net but overall in the greater scheme of things may be a good thing. I'm still wondering about that though. I think all of us (except the dumbasses amongst us) would prefer that dumbasses remain silent, do some research, or simply show some humility. There are few things worse than an entrenched, arrogant dumbass.