It's good to have you back. You're a big reason why I started developing but if I am being frank, your attitude toward the community led to other developers to take the same stance. Unfortunately the community has devolved into a toxic mess of developers hating on developers and those who know less than them. I am not saying that you are 100% to blame by ANY means, but this community started to become a lot worse when you left the last time. I appreciate you taking the time to write this out and confront your past attitudes head on.
I see this as a good way to level the playing field and open the door to honest conversation amongst devs and a mutual drive to be better. For a long time I've told people that the LSPDFR community really needs a revival and a return to non-paid, high quality free mods. Too often people are out for a quick dollar to be made rather than a passion for developing mods. This shift in attitude on your part could be a huge factor in turning the tide of the community as a whole. You've gained a ton of my respect back that you'd previously lost and I'm grateful to have you around.
With love,
-BC