I live near several major metropolitan centers and always stop into a new bikeshop when I happen across one. It seems less an attitude than an agenda of some sort. You'll buy anything I tell you is cool. This bitter pill was particularly hard to swallow since, more often than not, it's been at least half true. But over time, as my experience with bikes has grown I've come to realize that, in fact, most bicycle info is based more on opinion than fact anyway.
Full suspension is a joke.
Fact is, there is no fact. It's like asking a clerk what flavor of gum you'd enjoy most. Anyone who buys mailorder is an asshole. Well then so be it. Mail order and Internet shopping have each put a dent in profit margins.