The internet makes it very difficult to 100% express your intent, or POINT. More often than not this leads to a situation where people are automatically on the defensive, having their words taken out of context and turned around on them by expert cross-examiners.
It's how the system works, aside from sitting down with someone face to face, this problem is always going to exist.
To me, what is tragic about all of this is the following:
There are so many more people than I ever thought existed that are crazy passionate about golf course architecture. I love you guys! Yet, most of them will never visit and play as many golf courses as Tom and Ran. This forum has made it abundantly clear that one is not warranted in their opinion of a particular place unless they have actually visited and played it. Thus, this leaves little room for many of us to "discuss" things, because the things we want to discuss are things we know nothing about, firsthand.
I suspect that members of the original 'treehouse gang' miss what they once had, it was probably a truly special thing-people who have actually played a particular golf course discussing the merits and demerits of those particular golf courses.
Many of us simply haven't the experiences.
ANOTHER THING
Nobody seems eager to go back in time and start with the basics. Everything here is on steroids. The treehouse gang already knows about redans and minimalism and the Philadelphia school. The newbie best not say something naive, for more often than not they will feel the sting of the ruler. This leads to conflict. We'd all like to think we are patient and understanding with the newbie, but we aren't.
LASTLY
More so than any "group" of people I've ever encountered, GCA afficianadoes are some of the brightest and most ECLECTIC people I've ever encountered. Doctors, lawyers, scholars, philosophers....everyone take a bow for a moment.
Most who comes here are very quick-witted and to some degree have an ego....me included.
In everyday life I am able to overcome this sometimes HARSH attitude with charm. This charm doesn't go over so well on the internet, most of the time. As much as I like the smiley faces
they just don't get the message across all of the time.
Such is the rub, IMHO.