I think the fact that the "worldwide publishing medium" doesn't have any of the filters that a traditional publishing medium has is a big factor. From the dawn

I think the fact that the "worldwide publishing medium" doesn't have any of the filters that a traditional publishing medium has is a big factor. From the dawn of time up until fairly recently, it took a fair amount of effort to spout one's nonsense, unfiltered, to more than a relatively small number of people. It seems to me that this can be viewed as a "culture" of a sort, tied to the notion of writing and publication, where there an implied responsibility to some basic notions-- Derrida, in an interview, for example, says "it should be possible to invoke rules of competence, criteria of discussion and of consensus, good faith, lucidity, rigor, criticism, and pedagogy."