The comparison with Linus is interesting to me, since I've always interpreted Linus's rants as real venom, not just theatrical style. But I don't know Linus, so maybe I'm misreading the rants.
Always with the half-excuses for people with technical ability/track record. "Well he comes off as kind of rude, buut he kind of knows what he's doing so the arrogance is maybe warranted". Just goes to show that technical ability and dealing with people even in a technical setting are two very different things. I guess that is the reward for a technical track record? Being half-excused for lording it over other people?
Disclaimer: I know nothing about Cox' online personality. I'm just addressing how people react to rude (or whatever the intent is) technical people.
Well, I guess that's life.
If you can do somebody else cannot do, and they need you to do it, you get to dictate the terms and be rude.
Ideally we'd all like rainbows and kindness, but you know...
I wasn't making an argument initially, I was making an observation: "He's curt, maybe justifyingly so, but still...".
Then I further expanded upon that, based on the comment I got, that "that's how it is, if you're good at something you often get to dictate how you treat people who want it".
Wasn't meaning it to be an argument (to be met with counter arguments, to move goalposts, etc), just plain observation of how it is, as I see it, in both cases.
And not in the over-the-top, theatrical way Linus does it which is mostly style, you feel there's real sneer.