Sam Gentile finally got around to posting about why he left Code Better and there was nothing surprising in what he said. I'm guessing it is sort of what everyone who cared to guess about it guessed it was about (as an aside, I do find it hilarious that Sam says he doesn't want to discuss it, just speak his peace and move on, and then posts comments to other people blogging about it. I'm guessing he is still deleting comments to his own blog as well).
Any number of people posted about it, such as Ayende and Haacked. In the grand scheme of things, this is all just silliness of course. But it is entertaining.
What I find kind of funny is that anyone really disagrees with what Sam said. While all generalizations are inaccurate (self-referential joke), the vast majority of Alt.NET guys appear to be (as I said on Ayende's blog) "pompous insufferable jags who are too cool for the room" and I am one, so I know them when I see them.
Part of this is related to the fact that they've 'gotten religion' and so can't glimpse a wizard or designer without cringing at the code they produce. There's a lot to be said, and has been said, about this.
What really cracks me up is when Ayende says this: "ALT.NET doesn't include a value statement about those who don't agree"
While that might apply to Ayende (though I would probably quarrel with that....he certainly makes value statements all the time), it certainly doesn't apply to some of the most vocal members of the Alt.NET community. And not just people who blog at Code Better. I'd say the one person who I've learned more from as a developer, who is in most respects a great guy, is also pretty insufferable when it comes to talking about software development practices he doesn't like (there is nothing wrong with using a designer, dude).
Now, to be perfectly clear, there isn't anything inherently wrong with making value statements. Depending on how you count them, I've made 8 or 9 here already. Pretending that you aren't though is annoying.