
Jeff Kell, ListServ and IRC pioneer, has died - rmason
http://3000newswire.blogs.com/3000_newswire/2015/11/3000-community-keystone-jeff-kell-dies.html
======
beefhash
The title says "IRC inventor", whereas the article states:

> In the mid-1980s he was a pioneer in developing Internet Relay Chat,
> creating a language that made BITNET Relay possible. Relay was the
> predecessor to IRC. "Jeff was the main force behind RELAY, the Bitnet
> message and file transfer program," Gambrell said. "It inspired the creation
> of IRC."

Just thought I'd clarify that for anyone reading the comments before the
article.

~~~
dang
Ok, we changed the title to reflect that. (Submitted title was "Jeff Kell,
ListServ pioneer and IRC inventor dies".)

------
newbie1234
Great Loss! One thing I noticed (and is it only me?): too young. All the great
IT guys die too young.

Looking at my peers in their 50s or 60s, so many of them suffer from some kind
of disability. Usually knees. But also liver, cancer, etc.

Why?

~~~
jballanc
I'd suspect it's at least partly survivor bias (in reverse?). IT is new enough
that "All the great IT guys" _are_ young. The ones that are unfortunate enough
to have died will necessarily have died young, with a few notable exceptions
(such as Dennis Ritchie, though one could argue that even 70 is "too young" in
this day and age.

~~~
jacquesm
Another factor could be that IT guys on average do not lead the most healthy
life-styles.

------
hitlin37
any idea if there is any podcast around where he is a guest speaker? Would
like to hear more about the relay technologies.

------
justinclift
"... having worked for a short time at the Chattanooga Aquarium where he fed
the sharks."

That's also a line for people who died of shark attack. (ok, not Chattanooga
Aquarium specifically)

Just saying. ;)

------
StephenFalken
An example of a BITNET Relay session [0]:

    
    
      /SIGNUP robert harper
      * Thank you for signing up, robert harper.
      * Now use the /SIGNON <nickname> command to
      * establish a nickname and to logon Relay.
      /SIGN ON rob
      Welcome to the Inter Chat Relay Network, Rob.
      Your host is RELAY@FINHUTC (Finland).
      Your last logon was at 08:39:23 on 03/17/89.
      There are 67 users on 27 relays.
      /HELP
      **************** Relay Commands ***************
      /Bye . . . . . . . . . . . . Signoff from Relay
      /Channel <num> . . . . .Change to channel <num>
      /Contact <host-nick> . .Show Relay contact info
      /Getop . . . . . Try to summon a Relay operator
      /Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prints this list
      /Info. . . . . . . . . . . Send RELAY INFO file
      /Invite <nick> . . .Invite user to your channel
      /Links . . . . . . . . . . .Shows active relays
      /List. . . . . . . . . . . List active channels
      /Msg <nick> <text> . . . .Sends private message
      /Nick <newnick>. . . . . . Change your nickname
      /Names <channel> . . . . .Show users with names
      /Rates . . . . . . . . . .Display message rates
      /Servers <node>. . . . Show relays serving node
      /Signon <nick> <channel> . . . .Signon to Relay
      /Signon <nick>,SHIFT . . Forces uppercase shift
      /Signon <nick>,UNSHIFT . Forces lowercase shift
      /Signoff . . . . . . . . . . Signoff from Relay
      /Signup <full name>. Signup or change full name
      /Stats . . . . . . . . Display Relay statistics
      /Summon <userid>@<node>. . Invite user to Relay
      /Topic <subject> . . . . Topic for your channel
      /Who <channel> . . . . Show users and nicknames
      /WhoIs <nick>. . . . . . . .Identify a nickname 
      /LINKS    
      RELAY Version 01.24x0 Host RELAY@FINHUTC (Finland)
      Relay  RELAY  @ CEARN   (  Geneva  ) ->  Finland
      Relay  RELAY  @ DEARN   ( Germany  ) ->  Switzerland
      Relay  RELAY  @ AEARN   ( Austria  ) ->  Germany
      Relay  RELAY  @CZHRZU1A (  Zurich  ) ->  Geneva
      Relay  RELAY  @ HEARN   ( Holland  ) ->  Geneva
      Relay  RELAY  @TAUNIVM  ( TAUrelay ) ->  Geneva
      Relay  RELAY  @EB0UB011 (Barcelona ) ->  Geneva
      Relay  RELAY  @ ORION   (New_Jersey) ->  Geneva
      Relay  RELAY  @ BITNIC  ( NewYork  ) ->  New_Jersey
      Relay  RELAY  @JPNSUT10 (  Tokyo   ) ->  NewYork
      Relay  RELAY  @ VILLVM  (Philadelph) ->  New_Jersey
      Relay  RELAY  @NDSUVM1  (No_Dakota ) ->  New_Jersey
      Relay  RLY   @CORNELLC (Ithaca_NY ) ->  New_Jersey
      Relay  RELAY  @ UTCVM   (Tennessee ) ->  Pittsburgh
      Relay  RELAY  @UIUCVMD  (Urbana_IL ) ->  Pittsburgh
      Relay  RELAY  @CANADA01 ( Canada01 ) ->  Ithaca_NY
      Relay  RELAY  @  AUVM   ( Wash_DC  ) ->  Va_Tech
      Relay  RELAY  @ VTVM2   ( Va_Tech  ) ->  Ithaca_NY
      Relay  RELAY  @UALTAVM  ( Edmonton ) ->  Canada01
      Relay  RELAY  @NYUCCVM  (   Nyu    ) ->  New_Jersey
      Relay  RELAY  @  UWF    (Pensacola ) ->  Va_Tech
      Relay MASRELAY@  UBVM   ( Buffalo  ) ->  Ithaca_NY
      Relay  RELAY  @CMUCCVMA (Pittsburgh) ->  Ithaca_NY
      Relay  RELAY  @PURCCVM  (  Purdue  ) ->  Pittsburgh
      Relay  RELAY  @UREGINA1 (Regina_Sk ) ->  Canada01
      Relay  RELAY  @ GITVM1  ( Atlanta  ) ->  Tennessee
    

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BITNET_Relay#Usage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BITNET_Relay#Usage)

