Well...I was in their shoes before even though I was born deaf. Didn't know anything about ASL or Deaf Culture when I first took my ASL classe so I think it is a good thing that these people r coming in here to learn about issues that deaf people face and also learn that we r normal just like them!
Another thing, I get so tired of educating hearing people about deafness during my time with my family or friends, running errands, or simply because I am in the wrong mood. At least on AD, I can choose to answer their questions whenever I have the time or in the mood without appearing rude as opposed telling them that it is not the right time to answer their questions in person and end up scaring them off from deaf people in general.
Lastly,if the whole world wud register on AD, maybe all these misconceptions about deaf people will vanish!
As someone, I think it was u, stated that he/she went thru life without meeting a deaf person so this forum can be helpful for those who are curious.
As long as the questions are respectful and appropriate, it doesn't really bother me. I got other things to worry about.