Might it because you do not remember the currency of the time was knowledge? In absence of Internet, people traded knowledge, their status depended on this, they got access to cool things because of it. And, as with any valuable, there’s bound to be hoarding.
But it's not inevitable that people chase status and lord it over others. Doing that is a choice. People can always choose to focus on something more healthy and productive.
Maybe. I think I was in the camp of "I will share my knowledge whether you want it or not", always eager to tell people they are doing things in an uninformed way, like not using the right editor ;)
