In this digital age they really ask you that? I thought google was faster than asking a meat bag.
The problem is that entire posts seems more evangelical than <something else>. I mean, why the evasive answer? Why refer them to the entire book? Why put it in your sig if you don't intend to explain it, or worse, don't understand it enough to explain it in a sentence or two?
The issue with Galt/Rand in your sig and you'll see in responses is that it's basically a slam on liberals, the democratic party, socialism, communism, big government, and a smattering of the average joe that uses government services. That's a lot of offended people. And they have, as all such groups offended and tied to politics do, demonized Rand and anything associated with Rand such that in the general public it's seen as cultish, insane, unethical, insert your own negative demonized propaganda. It also has that feel of some "trying to be cool by association" thing. Ooh mysterious, "who is john galt!?!" Some of the demonization, while biased and one-sided, has some truth to it too (as do all such figures and ideas).
Liberal idealism is and was in so much art at the time, it was good and artistically important (whether it was a great work itself is irrelevant) to have an anti-socialist/liberal styled theme get some popularity, it increases the awareness on such issues IMO. And it still does today.
