I actually try not to talk about publishing with people unless they specifically ask me a question or I can trust them not to be dumb about things. I have, indeed, gotten into arguments with people about how to query agents, etc. It's one of the most frustrating experiences, having people who are trying to "help you" basically spew a bunch of crap at you. Yesterday, for instance, I got asked by someone about whether large publishing houses send you rejections but then steal your work and publish it anyway. Thankfully, he didn't argue with me when I (nicely) told him that was complete bunk.
The one place where I make an exception is Facebook. I figure anyone who'll try to argue with me about this stuff on my own darned status message is too rude to be my friend on there in the first place. So I post whatever I want about my writing there and trust people won't be douchebags.
Ultimately, I'm proud to be a writer. I'm even proud to let people know I'm a writer. But from there, I don't really go into much detail. They'd be bored, anyway, with most of what I find interesting.
