Every "community" has its mix of grouchy and dedicated people. If you think Amigans are uptight and snobbish, take a look at the Linux forums, Mac forums, etc.
I judge a community based on the kinds of products they release and support. Years ago, the Amiga community was tops because of the public domain scene, and the sheer variety of software that was being produced both commercially and for free. You didn't see programs like OctaMED and AMOS on the PC. It's been a long time since anyone has really made a new, groundshaking product for the Amiga. All the *good* coders have gone to other OS's.
Amiga isn't much of a community as it is a fan club. Having joined and left the "furry" fandom many times myself, believe me, I know all there is about infantile whiners who only wish to stuff their two cents down other people's throats without actually doing anything to solve problems.
Really, though, we can't expect much from the Amiga community when Amiga Inc. itself isn't participating too much. Where are those executive updates? Where are the dev tools? Where are the "free for a year" SDK updates? Yes, it takes time and money, but that's what business is about. You can't just work in a basement and hope the PR problems work out by themselves. If Amiga lets their community stew in a pool of cluelessness, we can't be surprised if it's overrun by whiners and rumor mongers.
Ironic, isn't it? In the midst of the information age, companies require developers to sign NDAs, keep quiet about weekly events, and nobody really knows what's going on. So we all have to pick fights with each other.
I'm not relying on the existing Amiga community for anything. I'm just sticking around to see if Amiga releases any new products and can rebuild a new community. In the menatime, I'll be working on my frustrating but productive Windows machine.
