It's a weak argument that resembles bullying more than it does anything else. If that kind of crediting was necessary for something like the GNU project to be

It's a weak argument that resembles bullying more than it does anything else. If that kind of crediting was necessary for something like the GNU project to be known and to thrive, then it should have been solved eons ago by including it as a requirement the terms of the GPL instead of by being indignantly recalcitrant about it later on.