´´There´s a high level of pretentiousness and arrogance here that you see widely throughout the art world´´.
I don´t know what your background is, but I´m curious re what exactly it is that you consider to be so dreadfully arrogant here, especially when what you´re essentially taking about is people giving of their time and experience for no reward. Since there´s apparently such a ´´high level´´ of it, there must be some examples you can quote. I´d really like to know what it is that you think is so offensive.
I know I´m probably guilty of seeming quite arrogant on occasion, if for no other reason than my language is quite clipped. But I barely ever post anything and when I do, it´s less from an academic standpoint than it is from experience in the trade and of restoration and from just having a good ´´eye´´ (even if I say so myself). I only started replying at all after asking questions myself, just in case, and then thinking I should contribute something in return because there are too few who can reply sensibly when I could sometimes. I could/would have posted more, had I not been quickly put off by running into ridiculous resentment for not saying what someone wanted to hear. So just for the record, I would point out the counter position, in that for people who do have some idea of what they´re doing, it is actually quite soul destroying to see evinced how appallingly inadequate most people are with regard to anything to do with art. But I, personally, still don´t intend to ´´berate´´ people. And if what you´re talking about is anything to do with me, I would like to know. There´s nothing very dreadful here in my opinion, though, so examples of the multiplicity of offending posts would be good.