Assuming Jakey is a journalist, such methods are a super illustration of the lack of depth to modern reporting. Canvass opinions from an anonyous online forum and pass it off as proof? The Age in Melbourne have certainly, and somewhat unashamedly, done so in the past with an article I can no longer find which proclaimed that the British were returning en masse to the UK from Australia based on reading a pomsinoz forum thread!
The disappointing thing is that some will take what Jakey or journos in general write and use it as their opinion. So much simpler than forming your own.