Peter Woit, the Columbia maths department computer systems administrator, makes his bread by googling the word String Theory and then posting what ever latest results come up in a disingenuous way on his blog to stir reactions from his readers.
Because, unfortunately, a terminal degree is not always a guarantee of future productivity.
String theory came into the public consciousness about two decades ago, followed by a backlash from a relatively small but persistent set of professors. String theory has largely dropped out of the public focus, but those researchers continue to hammer at it.
Woit is one of those. He's known primarily for his objections to string theory. His own work is just fine, but nobody outside of his discipline knows it.
