You're right, but it's also not quite as dire as you make it. Experts generally speaking are vulnerable to nerd sniping. The key is to have an interesting problem to ask them about. (The definition of "interesting" is going to vary from expert to expert, though.) If you have that and you can find a place where they congregate, they will be eager to give you an answer. Not so much in order to help you, but in order to satisfy their own curiosity or demonstrate their own knowledge.