[mestudent]

To be honest the emails he got could have easily annoyed him and seem to have come from someone who believes he is not interrupting into someones time (especially after the first response which is reasonable for someone without "citable" credentials).

I'd like to think he gets a large amount of emails a day and the fact that this person wanted credentials but decided to email rather than research further could have hit a nerve.

Just look so far as the final response shown:

> I think that you shouldn't write articles under the mindset that you know what you're talking about...

[ddemchuk]

sure, I admit the emailer went on to judge, but his initial email was:

> Hello, I'm citing your work for a debate article I'm using > about space colonization and how it is improbable. I do > need credentials however, and I've yet to find them online. > If you could reply with your credentials that'd be great.

No harm in that email, very simple.

But then the blogger went on to whip out his e-peen and tell the kid to go to his wikipedia rather than just write "I'm a self taught novelist who thoroughly researches his topics he writes about but doesn't have credentials in the traditional sense".

EDIT: I apparently have no idea how to do quotes on HN despite my valiant attempt to do so. I apologize.

[ramchip]

Regarding formatting: http://news.ycombinator.com/formatdoc

  Using two spaces indentation can work

Italics also work.

[ddemchuk]

Thanks for that!