Well said.
I share my thoughts because I hope to bring insight - while a lot of people watch games in OHL barns, I'm one of the dedicated souls who spend their nights and weekends sitting in cold community barns drinking bad coffee. I relish the ability to exchange opinions and ideas with other scouts, and when people start throwing shade on others in place of justifying their own position, it's a sad day.
There is an OHL GM who said to me during a conversation, and we share this opinion, "EVERYONE is a scout, and everyone has an opinion - the second you close yourself off to them, even as a GM, you're getting in the way of the end goal; making your team better."
He didn't mean listen to everyone, but if people put the time in, watch the games, you don't ask them to prove their voice before you're ready to hear it.
I don't necessarily think the OP of this topic was looking for a fight nor do I think they were looking for any reasons to discredit those like yourself that post your information for public consumption on this site.
I do think the OP of this topic could have been more diplomatic in asking his questions for the purpose of gaining information about those that profess to be scouts on this site.
I wouldn't take offense to anything that person said or requested. I also agree with your response to not justify providing that information. You don't need to justify yourself. Plain and simple.
What I do find disconcerting is the number of people that try to find an arguement when one shouldn't exist. We are seeing this in the mainstream political theatre right now as well. People twist words and/or misinterpret the meaning of someone's opinion because they did not express themselves very well and when that person tries to explain themselves better they are pounced on as trying to backpeddle. I see this a lot on this site as well. In some respects, I feel this may be the case on this topic.
I don't feel the OP was trying to be malicious but he came across that way so people pounced on him. I think it was his way of trying to draw a comparison between himself and those of you that scout for a purpose. Maybe he is trying to go down the same road and wants a measuring stick? That is sort of how I read into it. As mentioned, there are much better ways to ascertain that information.
I appreciate constructive commentary and debate. Although sometimes we don't get that on this site, I think in general that is appreciated. I for one appreciate the information provided by people such as yourself. I simply don't have the means to obtain that information organically.
Margaret Thatcher once said, "I always cheer up immensely when an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political arguement left." This is so true. When someone suggests that a poster is not and never has been a GM or a Coach they should not have an opinion. It is because that person has run out of arguements that make sense and are only left with personal attacks of credibility. I think if we all keep that in mind, this forum would be much better and we would all learn more from each other.