Better question, does Linus ever say extremely nice, encouraging, generous things and make the front page of HN for doing so?
I just wonder if he gets the same tough treatment he gives to others when he is wrong. And if he takes it well. I am assuming that sometimes like most of us he is totally wrong.
FWIW he created (one of?) the worlds most used OS kernels and shared it freely sparking all kinds of projects and businesses.
As for the rudeness, I feel that is hugely overrated. Compare hime to someone like the "developer evangelist" who got two developers fired because they said something to each other that s/he didn't like and see what I mean.
Edit: comments welcome, I have enough points but I cannot learn what mistake I made if nobody tells me.