Added thoughts
"Should never post after having a couple of beers." Ha! join the club. Because I'm retired and have a (ahem) flexible schedule, I have a rule never to post anywhere after 1700 (5 PM for you civilians).
As to becoming good and knowledgable quickly, I'm dubious about that in the context of solo canoeing. You can read all the books (which are wildly inconsistent) and talk to the experts (ditto), but you won't get really good without plenty of experience on the water. And that takes time. Paddling in calm conditions and doing so in 12 knot winds -- it's like 2 different sports. Three years on and a week doesn't pass that I don't learn (or re-learn) something.
I've cycled through 6 boats now (I still own 4 of them), and I've settled on 2 for my solo paddling: one fast, straight tracker for calm conditions, and one good-enough tracker that gives me control when conditions get frisky. More than "frisky" and I stay home.
The problem with at least some rudeness on the boards probably defies resolution. By and large, our posts are anonymous. I once read a homespun definition of "character," the personal trait: It's what you do when no one is watching. Some very pleasant people become, alas, rude/sarcastic when "no one is watching."