On one sorting algorithm, Can't remember which one ATM, involved recursion. It was pretty simple. My friend couldn't understand the nature of the problem because he didn't have a instinctual comprehension of recursion. I threw together a Visio of the process and walked him through the blocks one by one. He still couldn't wrap his mind around it. He started to berate himself and I could tell he was giving up on his dream. I told him to keep trying. To keep spending the time on places like HackerRank. He did.
8 months later, he landed a job as a js full stack programmer. Not a senior level position, but a damn good one. I'd seen his work before his interview and it was good. He had a command of all the major frameworks and he was observing all major js design patterns while avoiding idiotic anti-patterns. His code was clean and easy to read.
IMO Pointing out that someone APPEARS to code like a loser is a petty playground tactic of someone who has a serious ego issue. Taking someone by the hand and helping them through the hurdles so they can become a better programmer is the solution. I can't imagine how my friend would have reacted if he had read this petty article while he was trying so hard to become a decent programmer. He may very well have given up. That's not acceptable.
There are only people who give up and people who refuse to concede defeat. Ranting on a website about bad programmers is giving up.