Slightly different take: I've been here about the same length of time as Roland. I really haven't experienced rude and demanding messages, but I can somewhat relate to the observations about "office politics" and pecking order. Over those years, however, the site grew substantially, and it gradually became more and more clear that there was a need to bring some level of order and discipline to the endeavor of creating a single tree. If it was to succeed, you couldn't just let it become a huge, out of control free-for-all. So I wonder how much of what you're seeing is attributable to growing pains, and just encountering more people whose style turns you off, rather than intentional "elitism." Probably it doesn't even matter as far as enjoyment goes, but it's just a thought.