It could be just the Argo server, but there seems to be a lot of elitism, taboo, and stigma surrounding this class. Sorcerers are the same, but it seems to be on a much, much smaller scale and generally more excusable because sorcerers are there for usually one purpose, and that is to deal damage.

I'm talking about this apparent social stigma against three specific groups of wizards, in order of severity:

1. Non-Warforged wizards (regardless of UMD ability to heal self and party)
2. Archmagi (apparently, the pale master is so powerful, people can't wrap their tiny minds around any other way)
3. Non-evocation/necromancy based wizards

I fit into all three, and I've met more than enough people since TR'ing my cleric into a wizard to realize that people don't like anything new, including experimental builds, and that if you're not a 'self-repairing' pale master focused on necromancy and evocation/conjuration you apparently suck hard and are usually ignored. I've met two people in the past day that fit into this description:

1. I was the first to join a Vol farming party and was specifically kicked because I wasn't a pale master.
2. I joined a Wiz-King farming party and the party leader basically patronized every decision I made regardless of how well I preformed.

My build is different, yes, but from, what I've seen, it works quite well, although it falls into a support role. I'm an illusion/enchantment focused human archmage (I don't own warforged, and I don't intend to, it's just not in my style or interest and I'll save pale master for another life). Regardless of what people say, I've heard no complaints to the fact that everybody is permanently displaced and blur'ed and I try very, very hard to keep everybody buffed with whatever they desire (even saying 'hey, you want a buff? ask for it, it's yours'). My enchantment DC's work quite well around level 14, although the class is enhancement heavy and I haven't gotten my strong spell penetration yet so certain mobs are difficult to CC, but that's expected against drow/rakshasa/duergar. I don't have much in the way of damage, but I throw down an ice storm or firewall when it's needed, and arcane bolt/frost lance is strong enough to have a small sp cost spell to spam, but I focus on making sure everybody is protected and enemies can't harm then. It's more about damage prevention than inflicting damage.

For one of the most diverse and adaptable classes, people only seem to want one a very specific build and if you're not that build, you're apparently a bad player. Experimenting with new builds (even if they function very well) seems to be frowned upon, and anything new is suspect and distrusted.