...but you have to try to put yourself in his shoes.

No, not really. Dave is trying to sell Userland's software and technology. As a vendor, it behooves him to put himself in Jim's shoes, since he wants Jim's money. Jim doesn't particularly need to put himself in Dave's shoes, since there are lots of excellent software packages out there that he can develop with that don't come with the added baggage of having to watch what you say less the CEO send you a nasty email -- a situation Jim has recently taken advantage of by getting himself a sweet gig doing WebObjects work.

Dave's got a lot to lose by not courting developers. Developers have comparatively little to lose by not courting Userland.

If you come along and kick him in the stomach, then he's probably going to snap at you. OTOH, if you show him a little respect, then he is most gregarious.

I think Jim has shown Dave quite a bit of respect over the years, not least of all by being a vocal proponent of Userland technologies. But my experience with Dave, both firsthand and by watching others interact with him, is that he demands more respect than he's willing to give.

Sean