Calling people tactless after they've worked their asses off building something they give to strangers for free is more tactless.

Why? If an author or maintainer of a FOSS project wants to highlight their own work, so the community might too benefit, what's the issue?

Well, calling yourself a unsung hero ... is maybe a bit, well, low. Usually others judge, who is a hero.

This isn't a Show HN post with an open bandwagon. It's about nominating underrecognized achievers, the recognizance of which is only objectively done by someone other than the subject in question.

I'm ok with being tactless, if it highlights something important. :)

eg I just pointed out the project (DB Browser for SQLite) that I've been helping out for years. We're widely used, people say very good things about us, and we could definitely use more funding. ;)

Guilty.