More a warning to people who aren't taking care of business.
Being clever on the internet, particularly with a developed body of material, should be quite an asset. Yet he has obviously failed to leverage that asset, or any of his other assets, properly.
Main problem - the guy was putting up a front with the people he knew, and was committed to projecting that image more than evaluating his options and taking action to improve his situation.
I had hoped his post would spark more constructive discussion of what to do in his situation, and how to avoid putting yourself in that situation in the first place. His skills and failings seem extreme versions of a lot of people here, including myself.
That's a really good point, especially for those who decide to make their living outside of the common "get safe job" paradigm, which to be fair isn't all that robust (at least in the US), either.
I've noticed myself that the anxiety I feel about losing a key component of my business has decreased immensely over the last few years, even though the risk is either the same or slightly higher. Even as a kid I used to feel strange about that. I was scared of big spiders, so whenever I'd catch one in my bed, I'd be terrified for the next couple of days...
http://ergoemacs.org/misc/xah_as_good_as_dead.html