I didn't want to be a jerk to Dave.

These days I think even Cantrill regrets being a jerk back then.

The weird thing to me is that I don't understand how anyone is expected to believe that Bryan Cantrill is somehow less of an obsessive nerd than Dave Miller or anyone else. Like what character was he playing when he wrote that line??

Maybe he’s admitting defeat with an ironic insult. I say, “shut up, nerd,” to coworkers when I’m wrong in a technical debate. We’re all nerds to some extent, so it’s funny.

On the other hand, maybe he was playing the guy who lashes out when his feelings get hurt after his work was publicly eviscerated.

For whatever it's worth, it was a Saturday Night Live reference -- and I absolutely regret it.[0]

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/31ny87/comment/cq3e4y...

If only you'd also included one earlier line from the same skit¹:

> You've turned an enjoyable little job that I did— for a few years— into a colossal waste of time!

it would have balanced out the later one!

Thanks for making it make sense :)

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1: https://trekmovie.com/2021/09/06/william-shatner-defends-198...