But is he right?

Why should we not spit on people who don't care about commit logs. When Linus is insulting person, that stings a while. Shitty developer is insulting and harassing everyone day by day.

Being honest and aggressive is way to get people change their behavior or leave.

I'm not saying that Linus is right here. I'm just pointing out that rudeness can be the right way to deal with people who don't take a hint.