I don’t understand GP’s comments. It’s like they are so obstinate or cargo cult fixated on a good idea and messed it up so badly to think that asking for evidence is appropriate everywhere.

“Do you have data to support your stated preference for chocolate ice cream?”

A lot of people have cottoned on to how important hard evidence is for forming informed opinions. Unfortunately, many of them have yet to learn that you can judge a conclusion on its own merit without a bibliography of every idea that led to it.

It's really off-putting.

It's called Sealioning[1] and it's a well known form of trolling.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning

I have substantial historical evidence that I prefer chocolate ice cream to cherry, alas it is unpublished unless you count grocery receipts. :-)