> I think your tone here is a little more combative than the article deserves.

It's entirely possible it sounds combative. It's not intentional.

> Context is a huge issue here. I wouldn't come into any hacker-culture event with an expectation of professionalism and maturity -- maybe I'm not the majority.

A big part of professionalism is avoiding certain low-value behaviors because some people you might like to get along with are bothered by said behaviors. Professionalism doesn't have to mean putting on a suit and spouting buzzwords.