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In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

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Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#51

Post by rdtsc »

kragen wrote: post #38
rdtsc wrote: post #19

Please let's not dig up links or make speculations about what happened. He was the founder of the Debian project, let's remember him for that or other contributions he's made to the tech community. Debian has grown to be one of the most well known and popular Linux distribution, used in production, in the cloud, as the base for SteamOS, Ubuntu and other projects. It is and was a major part of what made Linux popular.

On the contrary: let's dig up all the links we can so that we can find out who was responsible, and prevent it from ever happening again. Just before he died, Ian had said he was going to devote the rest of his life to fighting police brutality: http://pastebin.com/dX3VSPkM Not only would we dishonor his memory by not digging up links and making speculations about what happened (did he commit suicide, possibly due to…

I meant to say, let's fight criminals tomorrow or wait for the family to release more information.

Also please note this message on Debian's site from his family:

"His family has asked for privacy during this difficult time and we very much wish to respect that."

https://bits.debian.org/2015/12/mourning-ian-murdock.html

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#52

Post by scrollaway »

kragen wrote: post #38
rdtsc wrote: post #19

Please let's not dig up links or make speculations about what happened. He was the founder of the Debian project, let's remember him for that or other contributions he's made to the tech community. Debian has grown to be one of the most well known and popular Linux distribution, used in production, in the cloud, as the base for SteamOS, Ubuntu and other projects. It is and was a major part of what made Linux popular.

On the contrary: let's dig up all the links we can so that we can find out who was responsible, and prevent it from ever happening again. Just before he died, Ian had said he was going to devote the rest of his life to fighting police brutality: http://pastebin.com/dX3VSPkM Not only would we dishonor his memory by not digging up links and making speculations about what happened (did he commit suicide, possibly due to…

I should probably post this on a throwaway... but this hit somewhat close to home.

A few years ago I was going through a very tough time. I lived in the UK at the time and went to california for a meetup. After even more personal crap happened, I went on a walk seriously considering suicide.

Kept trying to call friends, family, nobody picked up, it was the hardest day of my life to get through. Next thing I knew I found myself on top of a tall building at which point I had the clarity to figure out I really should talk to a suicide hotline.

Unfortunately I didn't know the number and internet abroad was impossible to get at the time, so I ended up calling 911. Funny that, it turns out when you do that in california, you are considered a "danger to yourself" and must be arrested.

Still I figured it was the better solution and let the cops take me. I ended up in handcuffs for the day, was roughened up quite a bit, treated like cattle until I was sent off to a ward for 48 hours. My belongings were all taken and I was not allowed to call anyone overseas (where the only people I knew resided). When I pleaded for help, I was threatened to be put on indefinite hold.

Everything I remember about this sucks. It's honestly a miracle I got through it alive - CA tried very hard to help me kill myself. Had to fake being happy and well and all of this being a terrible mistake to be released when the time was up. I later got much better, higher quality help when back in Europe.

I learned one thing: Don't have mental health issues in the US. And if you do, don't talk to the cops. Never talk to the cops.

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#53

Post by eliteraspberrie »

kragen wrote: post #38
rdtsc wrote: post #19

Please let's not dig up links or make speculations about what happened. He was the founder of the Debian project, let's remember him for that or other contributions he's made to the tech community. Debian has grown to be one of the most well known and popular Linux distribution, used in production, in the cloud, as the base for SteamOS, Ubuntu and other projects. It is and was a major part of what made Linux popular.

On the contrary: let's dig up all the links we can so that we can find out who was responsible, and prevent it from ever happening again. Just before he died, Ian had said he was going to devote the rest of his life to fighting police brutality: http://pastebin.com/dX3VSPkM Not only would we dishonor his memory by not digging up links and making speculations about what happened (did he commit suicide, possibly due to…

He said on Twitter that police beat him up once, and then a second time after following him home. I hope there is a real investigation, this is enraging.

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#55

Post by samstave »

gist wrote: post #32
samstave wrote: post #11

I too have suffered from abuse from cops here in the bay area - specifically the city of Alameda, and one cop in particular. I also suffer from depression, and have struggled with inappropriate thoughts due to my experience with police. It is sad that he has apparently actually committed suicide - as I would have loved to join him in his fight against state abuse. I wish I would have had the opportunity to work with…

Sorry to hear that would you be willing to describe the abuse in more detail?

Without giving too much detail in public, police were called to my house and I had just finished putting my children to bed. The officer was talking to me and then asked me to step on the porch, after doing so they had asked if I had been drinking - I said yes I had wine with my dinner, why.

They then arrested me and refused to tell me why - their exact words were "you know why" and took me to jail. I then had to bail out of jail and upon doing so, found out they arrested me for "being drunk in public". For drinking wine, hours prior, in my OWN HOME.

I went to court and no charges were filed and the whole thing was dismissed.

But not after I lost several thousand to bail, and I had no recourse at all.

There is a lot more to the story of this particular officer but this arrest was exactly as stated above.

It almost cost me my job as well, had I not had the ability to bail out. All for nothing.

If you drop all charges / do not charge someone with anything then the police should have to not only pay all my bail feed back, but I should be able to go after them for false arrest.

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#56

Post by coldpie »

segmondy wrote: post #45

It really bothers me that traces of someone's existence can be wiped out with a mouse click, be it on twitter, google, facebook, or other sites. I read the tweets while this was going on, I was hoping he would find some other means to cope and raise awareness, and to hear that he actually went through with it. :-( I go to reread and see if there's anything I might have missed and his twitter page is gone as if he nev…

I agree. But I can't blame him for not wanting to involuntarily dedicate his life to fighting this bullshit. Given the choice between fighting a vastly corrupt and hostile police force, facing merciless prosecutors, being covered by the media, many of whom are hostile, being judged and discussed online, losing the career that you spent your life building, and never being able to leave any of that behind... and not having to deal with any of that? I don't know. I can understand how one in that situation would make this choice, especially in the heat of the moment. Aaron Schwartz made the same call.

It's a tragedy. I desperately hope we get more information.

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#57

Post by colinbartlett »

yen223 wrote: post #24
minimaxir wrote: post #2

Previous thread about Ian Murdock: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10803924 This news is, tragically, new information. :(

> [dead] “I'm committing suicide tonight” Seems a tad insensitive...

All links on HN that are deleted say "[dead]" so it's just an unfortunate coincidence.

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#58

Post by dguaraglia »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #30

Hmm, I don't understand this story and links here. Why would a very successful person with family commit suicide over police-brutality? No comprendo. The appropriate response would be to get even through a court of law, or even paying to have some legs broken if it were justified. Perhaps he was depressed or mentally ill?

I don't know. Assaults of any kind tend to mess you up. Just from personal experience, the last time I was robbed (I've been robbed three times in my life, but only the last time as an adult) I remember becoming irrationally violent. I remember thinking that, had I had a gun, I would've killed "the motherfuckers" without flinching. In retrospect, I would've probably regretted that for life. I can't even imagine getting that agitated about something nowadays. And yet, at the time, it all made "perfect sense" in my head.

I guess in my case I was externalizing the violence towards the assaulters, but who knows what's happened to Ian? Everything is conjecture at this point anyway.

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#59

Post by coldpie »

samstave wrote: post #55
gist wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry to hear that would you be willing to describe the abuse in more detail?

Without giving too much detail in public, police were called to my house and I had just finished putting my children to bed. The officer was talking to me and then asked me to step on the porch, after doing so they had asked if I had been drinking - I said yes I had wine with my dinner, why. They then arrested me and refused to tell me why - their exact words were "you know why" and took me to jail. I then had to bai…

This is not an admonishment of you, but a reminder to everyone. Don't ever talk to the police. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

Re: In Memoriam: Ian Murdock

#60

Post by mawburn »

spb wrote: post #3

Also, for those who weren't previously acquainted: Ian was the "ian" in Debian, the Linux distro he created which is the basis for Ubuntu. He started work at Docker in November, which is why they are publishing this.

I never knew that, that's pretty neat.

I was curious where the Deb came from:

>It comes from the names of the creator of Debian, Ian Murdock, and his wife, Debra.

https://www.debian.org/intro/about

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