The big issue with WoW at least in another gamers eyes is, it's a big community of "n00bs" or previously people who didn't play videogames. I personally know quiet a few people who hasn't really gamed since Sega. And then they assume because these people play the game that it's an easy game. But what they don't realize is these people aren't very good (for the most part). And that the best guilds on each server are not filled with casuals.
Even in other MMO communities people seems to have this feeling towards WoW, I really noticed it on the AoC beta boards. But it seems it's dieing down and people are realizing like any other game you have casuals and people who have gamed for a long time.
And then you have another batch of FPS gamers who have a hard time jumping the hurdle of skill vs gear. And they will sit and say "if you don't have the best gear you aren't going to get anywhere. While this is true if you move into hard content, as thats what it's there for. But on easier content, many many many times I have out damaged/dps'd people while I was a lower level with worse gear, thats like a double handicap, so wouldn't that make it require more skill. Or even just beating some others at something with worse gear in general, thats where skill steps in.
Either way, beyond all that, I still don't understand the deep hatred for WoW, as no other game seems to come close. I despise FF, but I realize they are great games, I will never play them, they aren't my style and i HATE them, but they have a huge fan base and a lot of people like them, they do what they aim to do well and I accept that. But then I see posts on here, and many other forums like the ones in the "WoW banned in China thread that say things like "it kills more people than crack" or "good I hope other country's follow". These are games, if people read the article and seen it wasn't anything to do with the game itself being banned those wouldn't have been posted. But people didn't even read it, they just slung crap at the game, without realizing, if it was the way they think it is and it was getting banned, then odds are other games would be banned, and I would hate to see the day where my choice of games is limited by what my government feels is "too much for me".
Thats my rant, but thats how I see it. In the end people just need to look at it like any other game. If they don't like it, thats fine, if they like it great. Voice a minor opinion, but don't go slinging crap about what you think the average player is of that game. I found in online gaming, everyone thinks they are the only mature one and that everyone else is 12 years old, or is a 25 year old with no gf living in their mothers basements, we need to move beyond that, the people on the other end odds are are not much different from any of us.