Sorry, should have linked to previous evidence of the fact: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/09/has-joel-spolsky-ju...
Whatever this post says Jeff clearly didn't share your view of Joel being an amateur and a fraud given that he went on to start a pretty successful business with him.
The argument you have just presented is irrational since it's central point rests upon the fallacy of false cause.
ding!
Another satisfied customer. Next!
After all, all we get from Joel is a decade of sharing what he's worked on and why he's done stuff a particular way, in a relatively transparent manner that allows us to maybe learn stuff but importantly to put it all in a context that allows us each to make a judgement on whether what he says is useful / interesting to us.
By contrast with you we have the rich tapestry of an anonymous account on an internet message board, a superior manner bordering on trolling and a series of aggressively worded posts.
I don't know what I was thinking. Death to Spolsky!
Just one thing. Now that you too have taken to the internet to teach the rest of us how things should be done, if someone spots any errors in what you say it's fine to term you a fraud I take it? What's good for the goose and all.
Label me however you want, it's a free internet (for now, anyway).
I still find it funny how anyone can start a blog and become famous for it. Maybe I should do the same and cash in on all that buttery goodness of advertising revenue...