Absolutely.
I think some who responded that he should do his own research would have changed their answer if they realized how many authors he wrote to. Making up your own answer is a lot easier then what he did. Write and mail the letter...and no Internet to quickly look up addresses...wait for responses, and go through them all.
I think it would have helped if the student mentioned why he was asking these questions. It seemed like they agreed with the student but didn't know it.