[narag]

... and loved that I didn't have to spend the remainder of the afternoon apologizing for being as dumb as an apple or an egg.

The unfriendly people out there is just bad people. Real experts don't get angry at newbies, don't tell you that your question is wrong. Answers are wrong, questions aren't. Someone giving you a rude answer has probably something very wrong going on in his life and needs to feel smart at others' expense.

Unfortunately this behaviour has generalized. I've been trying to ask questions in unfamiliar areas and it's easier to educate myself than asking for help online.