> And the other part is simply just ethos, who the author is does change what kind of credibility you will give an argument.

Initially, maybe. It sounds a lot like the comment was arguing that people should do as much as the article's author before they are allowed to "pick it apart". That's lazy thinking to me, "that person has done a lot, don't you dare criticize their article". And that, mind you, before anyone had even pulled apart the point, it's some kind of pre-emptive argument to authority.