i'm not saying the concept is novel, i'm saying that it's the only viable option for the systems of today. related to that, i think the qubes approach will be adopted eventually (and that articles of hers, specifically, that i've read will likely come into fashion, despite the--dare i say it--borderline sexist reaction many on hn seem to have to "her tone").
regarding outright original thought, i'm sure both she and he are guilty of it. probably you and i as well; it's easier than a lot of people think. the world is large and complex, and really most of the "oh my god i can't believe [person] thought of [amazing idea]!" really ought to be marveling at the fact that [person] implemented [amazing idea] as a practical tool.
sure, we rehash over and over in our thought, but the world of ideas is so specialized that given even a few months of serious study, novelty is not particularly impressive.
She may be a brilliant researcher, but being aggressive and insulting toward others will only hinder her attempts to redefine the security landscape.
"given that kernels are your research project, i expected that you'd already tested whatever you're talking about on wayland and contacted its developers about security holes,"
and he replied curtly, i don't think anyone on hacker news would be "calling him out." the idea that her tone is "too aggressive" is highly suspect. it is not unusual to express ideas as if you believe them, nor to conduct yourself as if your blog posts needn't be written in the tone of My-First-Job-Interview or Visiting-My-Conservative-Grandmother-In-The-Hospital.