hmm the author (of the original article) seems to have a weakness for falling for schemes sold to him by people possessing what he thinks of as "signals" of bri

hmm the author (of the original article) seems to have a weakness for falling for schemes sold to him by people possessing what he thinks of as "signals" of brilliance (a PhD, a rumor etc). And then he gets screwed by following their advice. he is susceptible to people possessing a combination of these signs of brilliance and good salesmanship. I think the article tells us more about the character flaws of the author than make any insightful comments about brilliance vs hardwork (say). To paraphrase PG, even good hackers find it difficult to recognize other good hackers and it is impossible for a non hacker to distinguish between the really good hackers and the poseurs. I would be surprised if the dynamic didn't hold in other fields as well.