you know, i totally agree with you - i do believe that there is a certain notion of what it is to "be" indie or make an indie record. There are certain bars here in town that are the designated indie bars - where if you're that kinda person, you'd better be hanging out there because the scene revolves around it - i got sick of that shit along time ago, and tend to stay away from it. I still love indie music as a genre, and alot of bands that are a part of that loose scene, however some of the notions of what you must look/act/sound like in order to be deemed "cool enough" or "indie enough" is just silly.
I am starting a new project with a band in town here this weekend, they wanted to do some demos, super cheap, and quick - and after weeks of flip flopping finally decided that it was probably in their best interest to use Pro Tools rather than tape for the sake of time & $$$...but in order to keep their "cred" they aren't going to tell anyone that they are using Pro Tools, because that would be deemed "uncool and not indie enough". I think it's silly, but frankly don't care - i like both formats for different reasons, and for this project and what they want to accomplish, i think that Pro Tools is the best bet...it's just the idea that if you use something on your project like Pro Tools, or a producer, or want to make a really clean/big sounding record, you're no longer indie.