In his essay "Great Hackers", Paul Graham annoyed the industry with the assertion that Java programmers aren't as smart as Python programmers. He made a lot of stupid Java programmers mad (did I say that?), causing a lot of them to write counterarguments on their websites. The violent reaction indicates that he touched a nerve.
So if, purely for the sake of argument mind, I claimed that "Chad Fowler is a racist" (he's not) and he got really upset about it, his reaction is an indication that I am on to something? No, only if you are on the level of a tabloid journalist. If you come with a hurtful accusation and people get really upset, that is an indication you are being a dick.
