You should just stamp, "I'm an elitist!" on your forehead. Why a horrible way to discourage people from trying new activities in-game. BGs are there for people to fool around and enjoy a different aspect of the game. If you really want to be the high and mighty type you should pickup whatever buddies will have you and reach for a Gladiator title. Otherwise, stay calm and show people the ropes in the BGs.

@Braden

Do you also feel random dungeons are a place for people to "fool around"?

Braden, there's a difference between teaching people how to PvP and suffering deaths and defeats because doesn't atleast do some basic preparation for the activity they're about to do. I'm not a hardcore PvPer, I made a PvP healer mainly to fight for my server's Tol Barad and to get a few random BGs in every now and then. But I can't tell you how many times I've had to hit my head onto the desk while watching people wearing not a single piece of resilience gear completely weigh down the rest of the team. I can keep people alive fairly well, but when that Paladin over there might as well be wearing paper, there's only so much I can do. Just as bad is when the team is made to look like fools because half of the group can't understand basic concepts of group coordination and awareness of your surroundings. In other words, it's not very helpful when a handful of people stop to fight on the roads in Arathi Basin, or run in one at a time to attack the opposing flag carrier in Warsong Gulch. Someone will try to point out what they're doing wrong so that they can get in line with the rest of the team, but they're so focused on just getting kills that they don't pay attention to chat. As Clayden mentioned, BGs are just like dungeons; it's important to have some basic consideration for the people you're grouped with and not be a hassle.

If Trapped really wants to do some stress-free PvPing with their friends, they can try and set up some War Games with friendly guildies, or jump into Tol Barad (as long as a player sticks with the group and stays within the range of a base's flag, they can focus on simply fighting and getting kills while still contributing to the team).

Sorry but my opinion is BG's ARE the place to experiment, the same as NORMAL dungeons. Heroic dungeons and rBG's are places where you should know what your doing AND have approriate gear. Normal dungeons and normal BG's are the learning zones for the appropriate activity. This is why it pisses me off when you get into a heroic and see some noob in PVP gear tanking/healing, and wondering why its not working very well.
Ditto noone should be in Rated BG's without both Res gear and an idea of how to play (by idea I mean knowing what NOT to do, ie CAP in EOTS or get towers if you have

If they're hordies, they should jump right in as unprepared as they can be! Alliance BGs at max level are full of people like that, so horde needs a few to even things out. It's depressing to have a 25% win rate in BGs at max level because 50% of the alliance characters in BGs are there to run around by themselves in random places with no resilience gear because apparently it's fun to be destroyed over and over while not accomplishing anything worthwhile.

I am very active in pvp, and also dislike the idea that they are a place to fool around.

They are, however, a place to learn and get better pvp gear, and I think we should support newer players that are trying to learn.

For instance, rather than just saying " you guys are terrible. Go back to pve noob," maybe more people should explain that fighting in the roads is bad because the goal is to capture nodes. Or instead of saying "you guys suck, just let them cap," step up and tell them to group up at the bottom of the tunnel, and all go in together.

The point is: bg's can be intimidating. They are not a place to fool around. But if you want to play with better players, then part of the burden is on you to help them become better players. I'm not saying that anyone on this board is a bg troll, but there are plenty of them out there, as you all know. Some players don't want to learn, but many do, and are just waiting for someone to give them instructions. We should all be trying to be that person.

You were a bg noob once, too. How much would you have appreciated a quick strategy guide while standing in the stagung area waiting to start? Just like a good tank will take a few seconds before the pull to give everyone instruction on what to target, when to switch, what spell to interrupt, etc., we bg vets should be laying out a strategy before the fight to make sure the noobs, and even the other vets are all on the same page.

Again, I will never say that bg's are place to fool around, but they are a place to learn. In my opinion, it is our job to instruct anyone that wants to learn.