I don't exactly see the Linux kernel dev community as being inclusive, so that's not really an apt comparison. Nor is it a language-based community. It's a very

I don't exactly see the Linux kernel dev community as being inclusive, so that's not really an apt comparison. Nor is it a language-based community. It's a very specific set of people who are expected to follow the rules and do things in a particular manner; and for them that's okay. For a programming language community though I don't think that's the kind of approach to take. Sure, it could work and you may get some very talented people to help, but it's also arbitrarily limiting the kinds of people who can contribute and feel welcome based on the thickness of their skin, not on their technical ability. You may consider this timewasting, but I think it's more like a clever and nuanced form or marketing. Not only do you get the benefits of including more potentially skilled people into your community, you encourage them to actually get involved with the language. It seems like a worthwhile investment to me.