I don't think DHH has had a need to hustle in a while. He could have easily embarrassed cluebit with a witty remark, rather than embarrassing himself at the same time by the choice of language.
Exactly. Guys in his situation don't need to, but they still choose to. When you're playing with that sort of passion and intensity, you defend with vigor. That's embarrassing?
It's not like he drove over to cluebit's office and started smashing shit. He called him/them out. That's it, that's all.
The starched shirts feel a need to make everyone conform to their view.
So sadly, it's never "that's all" when it comes to them. We shall fight them on the shores, etc. etc.
It's cluebit that are scrappy guys still hustling, even if they got over a million in investor money...
It's only in your head that he is embarrassed.
And yes, in my head I do feel embarrassed for him when I see him lowering himself to name-calling over such a trivial issue.
I have no problems with salty language between equal opponents or when the other side is clearly malicious. In this case the opponent is such a pity that it feels akin to someone slapping a 5yr old for scratching their lamborghini.
But what he said was true. This wasn't ad hominem because it wasn't an argument. The argument is clear, Curebit stole, and have apologized. Therefore his reaction is not an attack but an accurate label.
Whether it is "professional" or not is a different story.
Please. If we're going to hold an intelligent debate, you need to work on your analogies.
And the level of incompetence at play here is precisely what makes DHH's reaction feel so out of place. Without thinking anyone could come up with a dozen classy ways to play the situation. Instead he chose the one that makes himself look less than ideal...