Let me qualifiy this by saying so far all my hiking has been confined to the south (resident of NC), but I've seen the AMC trashed pretty much everywhere it's mentioned. Do these people how they are viewed by the long distance community? Do they care? Is there any effort to make a connection between the two?
It seems to me that any organization dedicated to the outdoor experience would at least consider the criticisms leveled. They may or may not be totally justified. Any AMC-types lurking here that would like to reply?