The hostility is undoubtedly Zed's calling card, but I feel a great deal of affinity for it. Trial by fire keeps a well defined line between FU and everyone else.
Selective permeability is how you maintain a gradient.
But at the same time, most hackers are introverts. Even today people are incredibly reluctant to show code before it is "done" for fear of rejection. It's going to be very difficult for the shy kid who may be a great coder but is bad with rejection to walk into that gauntlet knowing full well that people will give them a rough time.
It's only a kind of renaissance of sharing exemplified by sites like github that are showing a return to the enthusiastic sharing of early hackerdom.
> But at the same time, most hackers are introverts.
This cuts both ways though... will most hackers really be able to muster up the will to tell someone to go away? I know I wouldn't really like doing that. While I have no doubt that Zed - or at least his internet persona - could, I wonder how it'll work out in practice.
Isn't that the point? It's not for everyone, sure, but if you can just jump in and combat introversion all at once then more power to you and welcome to the FU.
Selective permeability is how you maintain a gradient.