[curiousllama]

I think this is it - he's looking for publicity as reputational CYA (which is a big part of his job).

If you take a look and go "I can do this" and can't, then you look sketchy. If you take a look and go "nobody will ever be able to do this completely, but I'll try" then you look like a hero.

[compiler-guy]

Not even necessarily a CYA, but setting expectations about what is possible and what isn't is important.

It's like a doctor evaluating a patient.

[styren]

On the other hand how could these guys have fucked up any more than they already did? I think it's clear that he's earnest and not trying to win points simply based on that fact... did they do anything right?

[lazide]

At least they weren’t building black market nuclear bombs?