Transitions can be rough and the WWF's transition here certainly fits that description. In the span of a month, you lost pretty much the entire top heel stable (one to death, three to WCW, and we didn't know where Owen would end up), a lot of injuries, new acts that were getting thrust into the spotlight (ready or not) and really, a heartbroken fan base (no pun intended).
I think that the online fan base that was ALL ABOUT the WWF saw that Vince (the babyface independent self-made genius millionaire against that smug heel corporate animal, egomaniac, never-created-a-thing-in-his-life, Jerry Bruckheimer wannabe Bischoff) really was still a sleazy promoter. They felt betrayed and well, stupid. They got over it until the WCW buyout. Then, they felt stupid and gullible again.