Thanks Ian, thanks Debian

I didn’t know Ian Murdock but the news about his passing left me with a very strange and sad feeling, because he started the project that creates the tool that I use every day in my work, and everyday in my communication with my family and friends, and everyday for anything computer related… It’s like if somebody puts a treasure in your hands and you got distracted looking at it and when you head up to look at the person and say ‘Thank you’, he’s gone…

And, in the last years, Debian for me is not just ‘my favorite tool’, I’ve been slowly getting involved in the community, known some people here and there, been able to put some work to try to improve some small parts, been able to work with other people as a team, and I’ve been touched many times admiring how the Debianers work, how they talk and write, how they behave to each other and to the ones that reach the community for first time, and to the world, since most of the communication and work is public… I’ve felt myself helped, welcomed, encouraged, empowered. Not only in my computer related skills or the improved capabilities of my humble hardware. I’ve felt myself helped, welcomed, encouraged and empowered in important areas of my life (understanding other points of view, caring about the ones that don’t speak aloud, enjoying diversity and becoming flexible to make it flourish, making friends…). And I like to think that I try to emulate that and help, welcome, encourage, empower others too… I’m learning.

Thanks Ian, for this alive and growing treasure that is Debian (the OS, the community), and thanks Debian, for the past, present and future miracles.