I think the main reason for the harshness is that 9 times out of ten, the questions that get flamed are already asked and answered on the same page as the post. In other words, much of what is being asked has been answered. When new people pop in and ask a question the regulars have seen 3 times allready that day it demonstrates the newbie HAS not done thier homework. I am new here as well and I really have not been flamed, but then I generally take the time to research on my own. By asking questions of the vets and not doing a little digging on your own, its like saying that thier time is not as valuable as yours. After all, you dont want to waste your time doing research, but at the same time you expect an answer....anyways, just my take on it. Before you take a stand, spend a week here, a few hours a day and you will see the redundancy.