[forgotusername]

Really sorry to hear this, IRC just became a much less interesting place. My experience of Uriel is sadly limited to the occasional joust where his fabulously distinctive views of the world and technology were always apparent, and deeply admirable.

One of the old guard falls, inevitably to be replaced by 100 more squawking, jibbering, passionless "geeks" unwilling to form unique opinions of their own accord. Here's to the outliers.

[relix]

An unprovoked jab at newbies, way to be original. Not appropriate for the topic at hand, in my opinion.

[forgotusername]

It most certainly wasn't meant as a jab, more genuine sorrow for the industry's growing maturity. The disconnected, experimental environment where even a modem was a luxury, that gave rise to the kind of exotic personalities common of the 80s (and 90s - dare I even include myself) has steadily been replaced by a well understood lifestyle common to millions.

I wouldn't have thought it controversial to say that as a result, the kind of people you meet in IT becomes generally more bland and predictable with every passing day. That's simply due to there being so many more, all vastly better connected and less inclined wander their own paths, and where every imaginable problem has been encountered and blogged about 100 times before the average person even considers it.

[aaronbasssett]

"exotic personalities common of the 80s". He would have been a baby/toddler in the 80s. You do know he was only 30?

[burntsushi]

And 90s....

[fastball]

Then get out of IT and move to the frontier...

[doki_pen]

What do you mean by old guard? Uriel was young, with a healthy respect for the old school, at least those ideas that deserved respect.

[JabavuAdams]

You should have stopped at "deeply admirable." That would have been much stronger and resistant to refutation.