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.

Right on the money. Demands a whole lot more respect than is deserved. There's really very little place for some kind of personality cult when it comes to software. Sure, us geeks seem to like it but the paying customers think it's just a bunch of bullshit.

As for fair treatment, Dave comes across like a pet killer whale. Sure, he's powerful and will do tricks for you but you never know when he's going to come up out of that pool and chew your fucking head off. And then make you look like the idiot for fooling around near the water. So tell me again, why would I want to pay to see this show?