Hybrids are not "bad". They are exactly what they say they are, a compromise bike that attempts to allow as much variety in riding as a single design can do. For many sport riders they are the ideal bike. They provide the opportunity for multi surface riding without the necessity of buying more than one bike. The hybrid is an excellent way to bring 50+ riders back to bicycling after some years of layoff.

Snobs in all forms of life tend to look at what you have and determine its "goodness quotient" by what they would do without ever thinking of your needs and viewpoint. As seen in some of the other threads here lately, narrowness of viewpoint is a growing problem.