Why people are like this is beyond me.

I stole this from a forum I frequent - yes, I posted it. Note - I am a genre snob. I am not an elitist. I try to be polite and help people learn. I hate flaming lamers.

"I just came out of a subforum on the music forum where someone started a post with "Please don't flame me". The person was pleading this because they didn't know what genre certain pieces of music were, and they didn't want to get raged at by the community of the sub-forum - who evidently possess God-like, infallible knowledge of music and its genres.

I'm just wondering - why is it that people are forced into situations like this? If someone doesn't know what genre a piece of music is, shouldn't they be allowed to learn without fear or being reprimanded for their lack of knowledge? That's like killing younger people - because they don't know some things older people do, and they shouldn't be given a chance to learn. Damn kids.

Seriously though, when was it the new 'thing' to be such a snob about music genres, or the music one listens to? I swear that fifty percent of threads in a lot of these subforums are ones that mention a band - and then some 'regular' of the forum decides to post "OMG are you a retard with no arms and legs who also has no brain and his gay and eats shoe polish? (insert band) is /not/ (insert genre)!" despite the fact that genres are open to interpretation, definition, and many genres are related.

note that there is a big difference between the following exchange: "OMG, I love Slayer, they are my favorite pop-rock band!" "Um, actually, Slayer are Thrash Metal..."
and...
"I was listening to Darude the other day, and I got to wondering what genre they were? Techno, Electronica...?" "OMG, Darude are (specific subgenre) of trance, you stupid flaming faggot, I can't believe how dumb you are, kill yourself."

Why is that the attitude people insist on having?

Music is a great way to share creativity and one's emotions - wouldn't it make sense that, when someone wants to learn more about music, shouldn't we give them a chance to do so, instead of shooting them down so that they never learn new things?

This is partly a rant, but it's really something that's been bothering me. What's more ironic is that /this/ post will probably get flamed too. Oh, crazy world. "

I just don't get people. Especially with lesser known genres, music can use all the friends it can get - so why scare away interested new-comers? Maybe because they think that the more people that listen to an artist, the worst they will sound, and the less cool they will be for liking them? People are morons.