I'm sure he confirmed his mastery of Nihongo with a native speaker, too. I know (or used to know) enough of that language to make a vague claim, too.
what I do like is that p&r, chit chat and all that seems pretty hidden from my usual navigation of the site. I use "recent posts" and don't see it
Yes, I believe that the burgeoning number of pages of this thread proves your point. Lots of shills, wouldn't you say?