New-ish to Audiogon Forums... Is it always like this?

There is a ton of gear out there. I have a great time going through it via articles, videos etc. if I were to ask these guys here for recommendations I’d fully expect them to wax poetic about their favorite stuff. Then I’d research the interesting sounding pieces on my own. 
If a poster doesn’t want to give context then I’d seek it out in user reviews and articles. 
No response is annoying though. I get that. 

@daveman2  Yes joking but that's a decent name for an amp  lol

This forum is a mixed bag but it is worth it for me to check in every day and see if there is anything relevant. I skip most threads that ask for gear recommendations for the reason you describe. Once in a while the question is structed in such a way that I can determine that I have relevant experience and I will weigh in.

Very occasionally there is a truly outstanding thread. For example, I own Thiel speakers and there is a very long detailed thread about Thiel where Tom Thiel, one of the founders, actually participates. It's things like this where Audiogon really shines.

The audio related groups on Facebook are much more aggressively moderated which makes for a more pleasant productive experience. The level of arrogance and nastiness on Audiogon is definitely a turnoff for me.

sbank, yes I think you could be pleasantly surprised with the usefulness of the other forums for inquiries you may have on myriad topics. I have had great experiences on Hoffman and tapped a couple very knowledgeable members for advice when I was putting together my last system.  Honestly I feel bad for hobbyists that use this forum exclusively.  Audiogon plays out more like a bad soap opera or reality TV show for most topics. Lol

Other than a few turkeys who see fit to pollute the forum with their sophomoric political tropes, I find it to be pretty informative.