I'm not aware, at least not in the Forums I participate in here, of responses that would make participants feel 'put down' or made to feel in some way inferior. In another forum I've joined made up of only school psychologists, participation is also very low. The posts in that group could not be more positive or welcoming, but it doesn't seem to matter. I regret my reference to a 'classroom' setting, because that is really very, very different from this context.

What is true elsewhere on the internet, is that the 'disinhibition effect' rules the day and people can be incredibly nasty. I prefer to think that the reluctance of people to participate here has something to do with the feeling that they are interested to read what others say here, but genuinely feel that they have nothing to contribute. I think if more people would take a chance, they would quickly discover this is really not the case.

-Doug