been both praised and criticised in unsolicited private email by ESR.

Who/what is ESR?

Eric S. Raymond, one of the best known names in the free software world. (Also one of the looniest, which appears more strongly correlated to fame in free software than in more conventional fields :-)

Heh, though has ESR ever pulled a gun on you? I can claim that...

Goodness. Actually pulled a gun on you, as in pointing it at you with intent to threaten, or just near you?

In any case, no, I can't claim anything like that since I've never met him in person, although in his praise email he did say he'd like to.

(Er, like to meet me, that is, not like to pull a gun on me! He didn't even say that in the critical email. :-)

You know, I could wander over and tell this, but, meh, and all that.

hStill, the story it goes like this. Nowt wrong with a bit of self-aggrandization, I always say:

Random dull Hilton conference centre downtown Portland, a pile of geeks
(and me) standing in foyer deciding on which bar to head to next. ESR
wanders over, trying to look cool. We all ignore him. To which he
declares _very_ loudly 'Don't you know who *I* am?' to which I reply
'goodness, Mr Stallman, you have shaved the old beard' to a lot of
laughter all round. He pushes back the trenchcoat, whips out some shiny
piece, and says 'wise guy, huh?' to which I broaden my accent and say
'oh yes' back to him. He actually backed down, I laughed again, and we
all went to his for a rather bizarre party for the rest of the
night/next day.

Though, to be honest, I was absolutely bricking myself when he produced
the (what I have since been saying when I retell the story) magnum .45.