[exhuma]

> [...] those are really ugly; mine are much nicer (and more flexible).

This is a matter of personal preference. The more people you ask, the more opinions you will get. I could chip in mine, but that would serve no purpose.

You could see statements like these as a form of libel/defamation. While the statements are not necessarily false, they may cast a negative light on whomever is generating these images (in this case, gravatar.com).

I would try to avoid these statements, and simply go ahead with your project. And let the people decide for themselves which one they prefer.

[mtogo]

He's being honest. The existing solutions aren't any good, so he made one that is better.

There are thousands or millions of FOSS projects that were started because the existing ones are bad, and they've all said that they were started because the existing ones are bad. It's just the way it works.

Now, if both he and his competitors were serious companies with a handful of employees that were charging money, then it would be less appropriate. But they aren't. His project was created because the competition's projects are ugly, and he should be able to say that.