As someone who was there to witness it when it happened, that is not the impression I got at all, and I think Dang may have taken the more humble interpretation in that remark.
Lmao Stavros we should share a laptop or something or just speak over the phone the way we run in to each other so often.
Its different reading it at the time because it factors in the context of the community at the time as well as the lived experience of what it was like at the time to be a member or participant in given discussions. With that contrast, you can then get an idea of the intent of those comments beyond just the words, as they are often (and in this case) reinterpreted through the lens of current day contexts.
Example: ask what people think of the hit TV show The Apprentice today in the present, then hop in a delorean and ask someone before the trump presidency or candidacy what they think of the show.