You've done a lot to increase his reputation. Look, you just said that the web server he wrote was good enough for your production work and that you believe ot

You've done a lot to increase his reputation. Look, you just said that the web server he wrote was good enough for your production work and that you believe other web servers to be inferior. By mentioning Mongrel you increase the visibility and reputation of Mongrel, which increases his visibility and reputation. Now, when he introduces himself to someone he can say, "I wrote mongrel." And they will say, "cool!" instead of "what's that and why should I care?"