And to summarize the point I'm trying to make: promoting toxic people will drive away lots of underrepresented people from our industry which to me is a massive net loss.
And even if he was toxic - mixing personality with articles should not take place ever. If you disagree with the articles write so, but don't attack personally.
1) you were 100% in the right to point out that Uncle Bob is a problematic figure
2) promoting his work while ignoring 1) is, in fact, a political act as you pointed out
3) you expressed these views very tactfully and clearly (to my eye as a native English speaker - I wouldn't have known it was a second language for you had you not mentioned it)
4) based on this thread and the post you made on Reddit, there was no call whatsoever for you to "shove it up your ass" or be called toxic or anything of the sort
From where I sit, you were in the right and you remain in the right.
How can it be a political act? A political act is bringing something completely unrelated (like Robin's stance on funding police) to a technical discussion about TDD.
I to lived in oppressive (communist) regime like creator of Factorio, and political party (The Party) forced everything to be political. Going to church, not eating meat, not going to a rally, ot watching TV.
Now we want to just discuss a topic without dragging politics into this.
> giving a problematic person like Uncle Bob a platform is a political act
If we are talking only about platforming UB's technical opinions, then it's not a political act. Unless you think that everything done in public should be, a priori, considered to be a political act.
I was born in the same country as Kovarex, about the same time ago, and at the time, we lived in a system where everything happening in public sphere was considered a political act. Even lack of participation - you didn't put up a flag or go to a march at certain state holidays, and people would say, he is suspicious, and "politically unreliable" (which would block things like promotions at your job or if your children could study).
It wasn't a society you would want to live in, I guarantee you that. So please, think twice before you call something like that a political act.