Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're cherry picking the worst examples and it just sounds bitter. That isn't how most people were, and there are plenty of bad actors in industry that have done (and continue to do) far worse.
No, I mean, which "cool kids" are you referring to? I'm asking seriously. What exactly are you talking about? I'll respond in detail. I've been involved in vulnerability research since high school. And I'm guessing I'm significantly older than you are: I was already working professionally when the Lopatic overflow hit. I'm weakly willing to bet that whoever you think the "cool kids" were actually sucked.
PLA, 303, cdc/l0pht, DoC ... there was precious little technical skill there (although there was some).
However, I'll take a CuervoCon over a pycon and a swamp ratte stage performance over a Steve Jobs presentation any day of the week.