Ummm... I don't think anyone was lobbing insults at anyone until you jumped into the game. It sounds like we're getting a little sensitive. Just because someone doesn't follow your approach doesn't mean that they hate what you're doing. Chill out.
On the net, I see people assuming N just as often (!) And any assumption of scale/gauge is definitely a pet peeve of mine. Also: Newbies always assuming island-type layouts. I don't really hold it against them; I guess layout design is sometimes counter-intuitive.
You mean that's an assumption they make when planning? I think part of the problem is that "newbies" have rarely been given/given themselves an entire space including Walls to work with. They have yet to make that commitment or see it as that permanent. I think it comes with an evolution in the hobby. As for assumed scale. I've never really had that problem in real life, but online, I find far more people giving me N-scale specific solutions (ie not valid in HO) then see the opposite. We've talked about the "issues" with N-scalers before though (joking) It's a "pet peeve" of mine.
I have to agree on the hobby shop being out of stuff all the time, the local one has been out of the jumbo lichen bags and .156 o.d.x.118 i.d. plastic tubing I need forever. Personally my biggest agravation is the cost of scenery supplies. I am using most of my old flex track and rolling stock from my old layout taken down when I was a teenager. Coupled with some purchases of large lots os NOS turnouts and other needs on ebay, I've done well on getting the rest of the layout up affordably. But the scenery thing has been killing my wallet. Someone sell me a cubic yard of lichen please???
Scratch-building a prototype for a hundred hours, then it's released a year later, R-T-R!! I built my GN layout in Z-scale, so I can take a lot of "modeler's licensing" 'cause if I don't build it, it aint available!
