(Agree - no reason not to name names at this point).<p>Question is - work with whom? While I personally find patronising material off-putting, I suspect that may be my inner geekness showing, and "normal" people don't mind as much.<p>One example is the "XXX for dummies" book series. No matter how interesting the XXX was (Quantum Physics! Neurosurgery), I could never bring myself to buy those books - I was mentally bristling "Oy, who are you calling a dummy?". Millions do, though.<p>Another example -  I roll my eyes quite a lot at some of Evernote's material ("Oh I can use a note and clipping service to collect cooking recipes from the Internet? You don't say! Good thing you told me of else it would have never crossed my mind! Tag S for Sarcasm!") - but I suspect they are very successful for doing that.<p>My gut reaction is that you put off fewer people than you attract - but I can't prove it.