Gimme the money. NOW!

I am wondering if I am alone in getting a little irritated with the large number of (mostly) unregistered posters whose immediate reaction to an opportunity posted on this site is to ask if it's paid. This is a largely amateur site and the posts while they do not necessarily state whether payment is coming or not are nearly always student films or similar projects. So why ask? Are we becoming that mercenary as a society or is it simply another aspect of the trolls, who (dare I say) seem to have been quieter lately. I make a living out of theatre but my first response is not to always ask "How much?"