I guess it comes down to that on the internet, with blogs, Twitter and forums, we talk with people in very different locations with very different needs from out own. I chat with Japanese, Australians, US Americans, Germans, Belgians, Spanish, British and Dutch besides a whole lot of other people (many from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland). Besides our common interest in ultralight backpacking our adventures are very different, and hence our needs for gear, be it waterproof-breathable garments, shelters, quilts, bivies or even food, are vastly different.
Compare that with the pre-internet communications we had. Twenty years ago we might have been a member of a backpacking club, or had friends & family with the same love for the outdoors, with whom we talked about gear and trips. Of course the sales person in our local outdoor shop, other hikers who we encountered on the trail and magazines would also have been part of our sources and discussion partners. These people, who live in the same location, hike the same trails and have to deal with the same circumstances as you, would often come to the same conclusions about gear in terms of what works, and what doesn't.
We should realize that when discussing online our location and [gear] needs are not the ultimate wisdom everywhere else. If people in Alaska, Scandinavia & Japan have great experiences with material X, but it doesn't happen to work in France, the UK and Florida, think and accept the possibility that material X maybe just isn't right for your local needs, but can work very well for someone else's local needs. I also urge you to not go around and claim "Material X is rubbish", though annex your claim to include your location: "Material X doesn't work very well in the UK". And if you want to appear especially smart you might want to say "Material X doesn't work very well in the UK, though I heard Scandinavian backpackers do really seem to like it". If you prefer version 1, maybe at least explain why something doesn't work for you. Blanket statements are never good.
We are so used to thinking locally that we seem to forget that not everything is happening right here where we are, even if with the internet we might feel that way. And in the end, if X doesn't work for you, use Y - there is usually more than one option available.
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