Well I read it, and I read pages of comments. Quite a bit of hatred and completely contradictionary opinions. I mean, seriously, why do people get so worked up about shows they don't like? It's very simple: don't watch it. If I were to advise the writers on this I'd say just watch the viewing trends, those opinions are really not informative at all. 

Sherlock has played with the forth wall from the beginning. Not only to explore that avenue artistically but also I suspect to tap into the new mediums. Our new way of viewing and engaging with series such as Sherlock is no longer confined to television..
I think in this instance they could push the boundaries even further because the fans engaging outside of the programme were not limited to a few blogs; it went international not only through blogs, twitter, etc. but throughout the international press and onto primetime tv.
In the real world fans gather to get a glimpse of Benedict in Gower Street. In Sherlocks world it would not be unusual for fans to gather outside of 221B Baker Street to get a glimpse of Sherlock. In fact it would be odd if people didnt regularly recognise Sherlock Holmes on the street after solving so many prominent cases.

 

Dunno, I just scrolled down. Honestly, don't waste your time on the comments, they left a bad taste in my mouth. Haters gonna hate. 

DW mostly, they're quite divided about Sherlock actually. It's just that I spent way too much time on those comments and got a bit grumpy. Seriously, who spends time hating on a show you don't have to watch, and then have an opinion on how it should be written? Mmm, getting grumpy again, I'm gonna go back to swooning over Sherlock instead. 

I think the writer's point could be valid and I think it comes from honest concern about shows that he likes, I just don't think it really applies to Sherlock. If the references would be impossible to understand if you didn't follow the discussion, then he'd have a point, but everything fits into the narrative. And there weren't so many references anyway, just the two fake theories, one is a killer hook, the other a funny intermezzo, both of them would work perfectly fine for people who had only seen Reichenbach and wanted to know the conclusion. 

I think the main reasons why people might not have liked the episode is unrelated to fan references. The episode is the denouement of series 2 and the introduction of series 3, told in Mark's signature 9 acts. However, people expect a film; a self-contained narrative with a strong central conflict told in three acts. If that's what you expect, then you might get disappointed and blame it on the fans. I honestly believe that had the same story been told in three, with more attention to the baddie, than no one was complaining right now. It's just a difference in expectations, and the difference between a film and a series.