I think you've missed the point ... that parenthetical comment is what was previously in his mind, he's sharing with us why he was, at that time, still pushing and defending.
I don't see this in any way as still digging the hole.
As for the rest of your comment, you seem purely to be repeating what he says he now knows. Although others have, I haven't downvoted you, but it feels like you're still being angry about what the situation was, and not trying to adapt to what this situation is.
I agree that there are still legitimate causes for concern, but it's worth taking time to think about what they really are.
Yes, I'm repeating what he already claims to know, because my point is he should already have known it. I am casting doubt on his sincerity, given this feature, his arguments on HN the other day, and what he's said now.
I'm not still angry about what the situation was - I believe the only reason this feature was rolled back is because there was a big backlash. I really believe his whole attitude towards other people's data means he isn't responsible enough to store it.
It's exactly irresponsible moves like this that led to the GDPR in the first place (something else contravened by this feature)
I can certainly understand that when you're excited about rolling out a new feature and you encounter some pushback your gut reaction might be to "sell" people on it or try to explain it better rather than listen. The important thing is that he did eventually listen.
I think it's also important to distinguish the idea from the execution. A LinkedIn alternative for developers is a great idea. The problem was the incredibly short opt-out (instead of opt-in) with notice given to users on Friday afternoon of a long holiday weekend.
I totally understand being excited about a new feature, but I don't understand the lax attitude towards privacy, especially not nowadays.
I somewhat agree, in that the important thing for now is that he did eventually relent. But I'm not convinced he actually listened, so much as relented under pressure. I don't think those values bode well for the company going forward. I certainly hope I'm proved wrong on that.
I don't see this in any way as still digging the hole.
As for the rest of your comment, you seem purely to be repeating what he says he now knows. Although others have, I haven't downvoted you, but it feels like you're still being angry about what the situation was, and not trying to adapt to what this situation is.
I agree that there are still legitimate causes for concern, but it's worth taking time to think about what they really are.