What's the relevance of this? It's certainly not the case that the presence of one person with an embarrassingly obvious craving for adulation in the conversation means that other people with distended egos of their own will stay away. The opposite is nearer true.

If you're so sure that the grandparent comment is relevant, then please tell us exactly which messages you agree are from people with absolutely mind-bogglingly huge egos even larger than Eric S Raymond's? I haven't noticed anyone making any appeals to their own authority as arrogant as claiming to be the most famous programmer in the world. Are you saying that it takes a huge ego to point out ESR's long track record of making flawed arguments, and quote the many patently false, self-aggrandizing, racist and sexist things he's said in the past, or that there's something wrong with pointing out racism instead of silently condoning it?