> They are "thought leaders", if you will; perhaps not charismatic ones, but canny businessmen who know how to nurture their pet projects.
The problem is that for every Linus, Theo, or RMS, you have a dozen tactless buffoons who aren't a tenth as talented as any one of these individuals, are a chore to work with, and couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag. I've even seen some developers defend their lack of social skills by drawing comparisons to people like Linus and Theo.
That's why Linus shows an incredible amount of insight and maturity by purposefully and vocally trying to distance himself from that image and set a better example. He might be able to make being abrasive work, but most people can't.
The problem is that for every Linus, Theo, or RMS, you have a dozen tactless buffoons who aren't a tenth as talented as any one of these individuals, are a chore to work with, and couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag. I've even seen some developers defend their lack of social skills by drawing comparisons to people like Linus and Theo.
That's why Linus shows an incredible amount of insight and maturity by purposefully and vocally trying to distance himself from that image and set a better example. He might be able to make being abrasive work, but most people can't.