>> So yeah, if smart people failed to convince other smart people, there's something wrong with it.

Maybe those weren't very smart people, after all? I mean we only have Google's assurances to go by, that they are the place where brilliant people go to feel mediocre etc, but doesn't that sound like a pick-up line, that would put off most people who don't consider themselves dumb?

Also: a good engineer never blames her tools.