"Programmers do not respect authority, only ability."
A minor mischaracterization. Programmers respect authority that is derived from ability and historic record of ability to execute/produce. Authority is something you earn and must maintain. For many people, "authority" is merely asserted by someone in a position of power, with little to back it up other than their own claims of control.
I would characterize that as 'acceding to authority out of respect.' Respect, or course, must be earned and can so easily be lost when those in authority start to demand it.
Hey, man.. I can't disagree with you that some pundits are inflating these ideas a bit, but you can't deny we're in the middle of something big for humanity, and we're still trying to figure it out.
A minor mischaracterization. Programmers respect authority that is derived from ability and historic record of ability to execute/produce. Authority is something you earn and must maintain. For many people, "authority" is merely asserted by someone in a position of power, with little to back it up other than their own claims of control.