Unlike in fiction, real-life humans aren't universally perfect to everyone's standards. In some areas they believe or practice something great, in others they say or do repugnant stuff. Fortunately, you can evaluate one's contribution in different areas in isolation, and I wish more people would learn how to do that.
What has he done, besides The Cathedral and the Bazaar...?
Most of his open source contributions seem to be littering up source files with long-winded comments and grandiose attributions to himself. I've read a fair bit of his code and it's certainly not impressive. Quite the opposite actually.
I'm further right on the political spectrum than ESR is. It's his delusions of grandeur and constant, smug championing of his own relevance that I can't stand...
Unlike in fiction, real-life humans aren't universally perfect to everyone's standards. In some areas they believe or practice something great, in others they say or do repugnant stuff. Fortunately, you can evaluate one's contribution in different areas in isolation, and I wish more people would learn how to do that.