In Memoriam: Ian Murdock
People's last words stated in the form "please do" are called last wishes.<p>His last wishes went towards asking the community to push his story to the front page of HN.<p>Why does the institutions delete information in order to preserve his memory?<p>I have been in the free software community since 2 decades. Met a lot of developers. We were a tinge more numerous -compared to the era and time- freaks among freaks.<p>The number of schyzophrenic, LGBT, psychotics, diabetics, aspergers, autists ... outcasts of the society were high 15 years ago. Not all outcasts I will admit. Highly educated ones. Nerds, and geeks like with the true meaning of geeks before silicon valley in a 1984 fashion made it sound cool.<p>The bullied at school because of invisible differences. At least when you are visibly different you are not alone.<p>Free software was our haven, a community with strong bonds. I never met him though.<p>Since linux became "hype" the community has changed. Less freaks, more suits and ties more "opening to visible diversities" but in depth less tolerance towards the differences of the minds.<p>I am uneasy with the deleting of his posts *. Even though I guess I understand the family. There are so many ways people can be misleaded by his lasts words. Me included.<p>His lasts words are stinking of loneliness and oddity for me, though. Like a bottle to the sea.<p>I wish to try to open gently this bottle.<p>Whatever he wishes to have uncovered my clueless guess is the true nature of facing a world that is violent with a difference and a lack of empathy. Like a psychopathic society. He may not have been a "nerd" or "geek" or bullied at school but he seems to have died like one.<p>His tweets were long enough before his death. Thousands of people made the news seeable on the internet. Their was time to act. Yet, like for any freaks on the streets that every one sees and have empathy for, every one seemed concerned and no one acted. Liking on fb, talk on TED, news on HN are effectless in the real life.<p>What I see from the reactions to his last words is ... people are more concerned about being "correct" above all.<p>I also see his social shell cracking revealing his inner self. I see people close to him more concerned about keeping a nice image of him rather than accepting who he was. As a human. To fail is human, to err is human, to cry is human, to be in pain is human.<p>But the dark secrets is we all are freaks. And we face our fears and demons -- alone sometimes. Especially when being bullied. Society tends to blame the victims of bullying for their own weaknesses.<p>As soon as you call for help when fighting your daemons in your own honest language people walk away, by fear, of what? Contamination? Conflict?<p>My sympathy goes to Ian. My feeling goes to all the people asking for help that are ignored, but for which we make nice posts, hoping someone else will take care of it. (NIB)<p>I am even feeling myself both a jerk and wishing to respect his lasts words[1] writing this.<p>Maybe the only thing that we have to look at is at the bottle, and not open it.<p>A bottle to the sea is a signal to the world, and some are trying to hide this bottle.<p>In fact, I cowardly will not open the bottle. But I see it. I have the feeling it is important to not negate it.<p>"i have many stories to tell and do not want them to die with me" he said.<p>In my point of view not respecting someone's last world is like breaking a geas that bound generations.<p>What if no one respected the last wishes of Nicolai Copernicus on publishing is thesis?<p>sapere auso[2].<p>It is our moral contract to the one who passed away to respect their last wishes, else what will remain of us after our own deaths?<p>He was a human, he was in pain, he was alone, and that how he died, unable to tell his stories. And even as a complete stranger, I feel for him.<p>Maybe he was living in delusion. Maybe he was crazy. Maybe he had terrible stories to tell about DSA-1571-1. It is impossible for me to guess the stories he actually wishes to make the front page of HN.<p>I just read his words and see the pain of a human and respect them as is.<p>Let's respect the true memory of a man and respect his real last words, not the façade that is given to us.<p>[1] yes I assume this is him writing. I cannot be sure, but sometimes you have to trust and trust include the risk of being betrayed. Sometimes, [2] you have to dare try to know.