I don't think affiliates have become more opinionated or vocal than they were before. I do think that the amount of tips and advice that is both relevant and useful is not what it was before. In an industry as tight as this one has gotten, no one wants to share what works for fear it will be copied verbatim and sooner or later will no longer work.

I try to post on boards when I see someone asking about something that I know I can be helpful with. But my only real use for boards is to find affiliates looking to promote sites and products I have.