Not that I have any problem with editorials. But there should be a clear separation from the actual content, and in this forum that means a comment.

Negative sensationalism is just as irritating as hype.

I agree with you, he should have posted it as a comment. But did anyone actually think that SO (or any business, for that matter) would advertise itself as being for the mediocre?

I thought it was pretty clear what he was doing - editorializing - even if he is wrong. Its kind of like reading the New York Times ;)

[Edit: this is a reply to alxp below who wrote:

"Haha yes, because good programming and good networking skills are so clearly linked."]

Clearly linked, yes, but inversely proportional!

When in my "rain-maker" mental mode, when I go for weeks keeping contacts and have a phone glued to my ear, my hacking skills are just about none. I make it a point to take TODO notes for later.

When I am knee deep in hacking; designing, writing, testing, benchmarking, etc. my social skills are none. I can't even form sentences when I am interrupted by the phone, the few times I forget to forward my number to my girlfriend.

I sometimes do vocal exercises "Mii Maa Mee Moo Muu" type stuff to get my voice back before I need to make an important call.

Interesting comment, mahmud (as usual), but it made no sense in context. I read farther, and see that you simply responded to the wrong comment here!

Yes, I was responding to alxp below. Edited to reflect this.

Thanks dhimes :-)

I think someone is, I hope unconsciously, trying to improve his self esteem by stomping on the patronage of certain websites, expecting the commenters here to eloquently support him.

Either that or he he is consciously being arrogant.

Anyone reading Joel Spolsky or Jeff Atwood is already above the norm, because they are actually trying to learn and improve themselves. This can be proven by simply comparing the number of visitors to blogs and sites like theirs with the total number of people that could benefit from readin those sites.

I vote for "the submitter is very arrogant and full of himself".

People who feel they're better than everyone else because of where they work aren't very impressive, imho.

Perhaps people who aren't mediocre, by the poster's yardstick, would be getting jobs through networking, contacts, and direct approach, rather than "job sites."

Haha yes, because good programming and good networking skills are so clearly linked.

It depends if you're a "programmer" who gets to crunch code all day, or a "developer" who needs social and business skills. Plenty of room for both but they're different jobs entirely with quite different requirements.

Inaccurate editorializing at that. I would say this development actually makes it easier for better techies to find jobs by harnessing their SO reputation and, consequently, perhaps makes life a little more difficult for the mediocre.