Regarding your dhh comment, quite a few engineers cultivate this image of themselves very consciously (and some companies, although not 37Signals, have a reputation for having higher concentrations of such engineers). At the very least, they're smart people and therefore are likely conscious that the way they publicly speak influences how most people will view them and the company they represent.

It's a shame that we all can't be polite and friendly and remember pg's golden rule every once in a while, but alas there's not much we can do about it.

Let's spend our time on more important things :)