Hate to see you go, Chris, but I can relate to where you're coming from, particularly WRT "intellectual snobbery" and the abusive that seems so high of late.
There *is* a lot to be gained here still, especially in the technical arenas. Abrasiveness aside, (and I'll note that what I consider the most abrasive posters are generally absent from the technical fora) there are top-notch people here in nearly every major technical discipline and have always been willing to help.
Also, jabber is fun! ;)
Best of luck, I hope to keep in touch via ubersoft forums in the future.