This is kind of beating a dead horse. Of course the web was better when only the intellectual elite were on it. Of course it turned into a cesspool when the other 99% joined, including the 1% who are prolific destructive trolls.
I'm glad to see old-school forums soldier on, at least. For specialized information and advice, they tend to be a lot more reliable than social media - mostly because they're communities that have no patience for trolls. That doesn't stop them (and spammers) from trying to cause trouble, though. Once you let the general public in, it's inevitable that some will be jerks. Just a look through the "New" queue on HN with "show dead posts" shows it vividly. :)
Well, people who thought of themselves as the intellectual elite anyway.