The author's initial experience was on a gifted homeschool board. The later, more problematic experiences were, if I understood correctly, about blog posts on the wider internet.
I wonder if the difference is simply the audience? The gifted homeschool blog was an evidence-driven place. The blog readers on the wider internet? Not so much. When you say something that contradicts their assumptions, to them you're not supplying data, you're in a power struggle with them, and they will fight back. Reasonableness of the response? What's that? We're in a war here (or so they think/feel/act).
I wonder if the difference is simply the audience? The gifted homeschool blog was an evidence-driven place. The blog readers on the wider internet? Not so much. When you say something that contradicts their assumptions, to them you're not supplying data, you're in a power struggle with them, and they will fight back. Reasonableness of the response? What's that? We're in a war here (or so they think/feel/act).