Which only goes to support the notion that much of Ruby's community has issues from the top down. We're speaking of computer science, in which objective, rational analysis leads to correct answers -- not appeals to emotion and an almost religious acceptance of poor solutions.

For every serious Ruby contributor and leader like Charles Nutter (JRuby), there are 5 DHHs or DDH adherents shouting down professionalism as if it was an anathema to logical expression.

Interesting how long we can hold on to perceptions from the past, even when they've been wrong for over a decade.

(I'm not implying that I'm disagreeing with you, in fact I think this shows that even what people think of as "pedantic clock puncher" and "fun loving rock star" from the outside is often very different on the inside.