Guessing applicant quality based on evaluating the information you have about him is not judging. I can say "this guy is not a good match for our team, philosophy, and/or strategy" without saying "he is worthless"!
Guessing applicant quality is making a judgment of their capability, which is the core point of the article. I never suggested anyone was judging solely on a persons worth. I am suggesting that getting to know the person provides better insight in all regards.
Edit: And quite frankly hiring a programmer solely on programming capability can often lead to disastrous consequences. So if you can see some higher quality examples, it's worth investigating - IMHO.