raph: I share many of your feelings on the lack of appreciation that free software developers receive for their efforts. Compared to the thanks that I get in my day job, doing far less complicated things for money, unpaid work on free software seems to yield steady stream of demands and complaints.

I don't think that most of these people would behave this way if you were meeting them face to face - it is just so easy to make glib insults or armchair criticisms when you don't have to look your object in the eyes (I'm sure I have been guilty of this too, from time to time). It is doubly frustrating because one can't fight back, as this just escalates the situation (cf. old adages about wrestling pigs). Please don't become jaded - to do so would allow your behaviour to be determined by the lowest common denominator.