Exactly - it is at best a discussion - not a source.
IMLTHO - it is not overly maligned - it is overly respected as something it is not. If anything - it is underly maligned. I think of it more like an amplified search engine - follow the links to get the source.
Maybe some day it will be as respectable as saying “guess what I heard on twitter”.
;-)
It is the discussion, plus the products of the discussion, which makes it infinitely more useful than an ordinary encyclopedia or any single print source.