Spotters cover a wide spectrum.
Some are number-crunchers and nothing more.
Some are VERY knowledgable about various areas within aviation.
Some are active pilots, military and civil.
Irrespective of the exact status of the aviation-minded inquisitor, civility in answering costs nothing - repeat - NOTHING.
I would sincerely hope that PPruNers comprise an adequately broad church AND are sufficiently interested in the promotion of aviation generally to treat all posters politely and with the same respect they would wish to see accorded to themselves.