Former patent examiner here.

Getting angry at the examiner when the patent stinks is similar to getting angry at programmers when the application stinks. Often, it wasn't the programmer's fault. Management didn't give them enough time, for example, so the programmer did the best they could given the time constraints.

And that's exactly what happens at the USPTO. Many examiners understand that patent quality is a problem, but USPTO management simply doesn't give examiners enough time to do a quality job. Mistakes will happen.

But also often when the application stinks, it’s because the programmer was incompetent.

Yeah for sure, but the system is what I’m questioning.

I think by idiots they mean the org collectively