Well put, OP, well put.
This site is teeming with good posters and the amount of material to discuss between all the different forums and topics is mindblowing, but I think that when discussions end up at a base level, the more level-headed posters simply leave or ignore the threads altogether.
I also appreciate the fact that you took the time to point out the obvious (but not to all) difference between critique and hating/flaming/trolling.
Different views and preferences is the very essence of discussion and debate but it is perfectly simple to formulate proper arguments rather than simply bashing and trolling like a lot of people do.
It seems like the forums have come to life a little bit again, they were getting drab there for a while. Lots of new announcements, start of a new year and being on the doorstep of the next generaion seems to have livened things up again (which is why I'm posting a lot more as of late)! Rock on everyone, see you on the boards!