I am not afraid to ask for opinions (and facts) from anonymous strangers. I have to evaluate those opinions for myself, just like if I found information from any source. Unlike some others, I am not afraid to admit that I do not know everything, and that others may have more knowledge about something than I do. If I know more about a subject than someone else, and if I can help by answering a question, I am happy to do so. In spite of what you may believe, there are others here who are willing to do the same.
If we cannot do that without ridicule, the purpose of boards like this becomes irrelevant.