Yes, I can definitely feel that contempt for snipers is there. Especially osnipers like myself.
I figure I'll clear up a few misconceptions and air a few beefs.
1. Osniping is NOT useless. For one, picking off cappers at their base can be very useful, as can picking off/damaging enemy chasers that are after one of your own team's cappers.
When it comes to enemy defenders, I try to go for ones that are moving or shooting at me (if there are no cappers.) Even this is useful. You can cover your team during a base raid, and I must certainly say that sniping is both a great distraction and a great diversion.
If half the other team is chasing me, than they are not defending their base and not attacking my team's base. Even if a couple enemies are after me, that's two people that are not doing other things. If there is someone prone to raging, then they'll be after me for the rest of the game. Some people go sniper to defend against me. Makes my job tricky, but makes it easier on my team- besides, I can hold my own in basic combat (if it's not lagy or I'm not too drunk.)
2. Osniping is not against the rules. A lot of people (not in this thread but others as well as in-game) think there's a rule against it. It's annoying, but it's 100% legit.
3. I really hate it when people feel the need to TK or interfere with us (block shots, OD us off our perches, etc.) If people are that immature, then they should not be playing FPS games. It doesn't help your team, just makes an ass out of you (and TKing at least is against the rules.) If someone wants to be a noob and rage, then they should at least switch teams.
4. Don't bitch about it, or flame. I've been called every nasty thing in the book since the IA days and it's just immature. If you want to come kill me, fine, but don't flood the chat with insults and whining. If anything, it encourages me to give out some cheese to go with their whine.
5. I AM NOT HARD TO KILL. Anyone who knows how to aim when spamming rockets can beat me if they can get the jump on me. I'm not bad with a CG but the sniper is just a bad combat weapon (due to the jet nerf, mostly.) I get lucky sometimes with it, but really, there's no way I can take out, say, a Sent unless that player really sucks.
6. It's not wrong. See #2.
7. If you dislike it, good for you. That does not give you the right to break rules, and it doesn't justify raging.
I osnipe because it's fun, and it's the best contribution I can make to my team. That's it.
I think I've gotten my point across. Any questions?