
Pieter Hintjens (zeromq) diagnosed with incurable cancer - insiderinsider
https://twitter.com/hintjens/status/722074401798287361
======
PieterH
Just found out today, after a week of tests and six weeks of feeling gradually
worse. I'll try to answer your questions. I'm on my phone.

~~~
ddorian43
I never used zeromq but you were a cool guy last year at Pygrunn + at the bar
after the event!

~~~
PieterH
Groningen is a fun place and Pygrunn a unique and good event. I loved being
part of it.

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noname123
Don't really know Pieter.

But zmq really played a important role in my life. I was burned out with
programming two years ago and took a long extended break. Then in the depth of
my lull, I took a look at zmq and really took to its minimalism and the do-it-
yourself philosophy.

I really liked reading the documentation too. Actually it is the most
memorable experience, my interpretation was that the zmq User Guide ("Zen of
Zero") has a particular attitude: that everything has a singular focused
purpose, yet it is also unpretentious, knowing full well the limitations of
its circumstances and limited scope; and once a particular role has been
decided for a particular situation, one should try do one job simply and well
and get out of the way of others.

Perhaps this attitude is already expressed well in philosophy books. But for
me, it was applied and ingrained in grokking zmq and coding with it. I could
go on and talk about building a zmq demo helped me in getting my next job or
created a Github repo on an zmq adaptor for protobuf. But just technical
details behind the "Zen of Zero".

~~~
PieterH
If you know my work, like the Guide, you know me. I've never been so pampered
with an abundance of talent and will as in the zeromq community.

I'm really happy to hear that this project brought you out of a bad place. I
think it did that for me too (after AMQP).

~~~
noname123
Thanks Pieter for following up. I'm humbled by your words. Your reply made my
day.

Although I've never got the pleasure of meeting you in person, your open-
source work (and yes, the zeromq User Guide too!) has made an big impact on me
and I want to say thank you for what you've done.

~~~
PieterH
Internet hugs...

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_halgari
Pieter, I spoke with you back in 2013 at CodeMesh, about OSS development. I
remember asking "if you default to merging PRs even if you don't agree with
the, how can you assure quality control". And IIRC your answer was something
along the lines of : "Why should I assume that I have the only answer for what
quality is".

The frank humility of that answer has stuck with me over the years. And that
simple 15min conversation has resulted in hours of contemplation. So thank you
for making me think.

~~~
PieterH
My pleasure. Read my blog if you want a lot more on the same kind of topics.

------
mikefoss
About 6 months after working as the sole developer on a large, multi-threaded
project I came across ZeroMQ. In my work, I ended up using message passing as
the primary communication between threads and unknowingly (and poorly in many
cases) re-invented various message-passing mechanisms. After going through The
Guide, I wished that I had known about ZeroMQ earlier! It would have provided
a much better infrastructure for my work. I was reassigned to some other
projects, but whenever I am given a chance (i.e. when I'm working on a full-
Linux environment instead of in a microcontroller) I try to use ZeroMQ for
multi-threaded communication. It is truly a pleasure, and I thank you for
that.

There are several people whom I have been following and consider to be my
"embedded systems heroes", and you are one of them. I am so sorry for your
diagnosis.

It may not give much consolation, but perhaps there is a blessing in being
given a chance to say good bye.

I'm not sure how much it will mean, but I will be keeping you in my prayers.

~~~
PieterH
I believe that being aware and in control of one's impending death is a great
gift.

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olantonan
Pieter, I am so sorry to hear about this. Not sure if you need it, but I (and
maybe others) would like to offer some money to help your family. It's not
unheard of for people at your age to have debt, etc. Anyway to set this up?

I cannot begin to say how much I love your work. Thank you!

~~~
PieterH
Well this is really kind. Yes, I'm pretty broke and have three young children
who will be semi orphans. Cue violins.

Happy to receive on PayPal at ph@imatix.com. I will give my family the keys to
that so they can put it aside for ma wee bairns...

Thanks for suggesting this.

~~~
garethofhayes
Just make sure they regularly withdraw the funds, Paypal have a habit of
freezing accounts. Perhaps a bitcoin address too?

~~~
PieterH
Understood, thank you.

~~~
am678
Thankyou, it's time we give you something back.

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cresny
"The Guide" was one of my favorite ever rainy day reading experiences,
irrevocably changed my approach to my work. I'm sure I join with others in
saying thanks so much for your generosity and what you continue to bring to us
all.

~~~
discreteevent
It was genuine education for me.

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zacharygrafton
I've been thinking about this as of late and I was wondering if you have a
plan for keeping your blog up and running even after you are gone? It'd be a
shame to lose all of the valuable insights you have provided. Also, is there
anything else that wish to share?

I've always thought that were my time to come, I'd want some way to pass on
any last bit of valuable knowledge to those who come after me.

~~~
PieterH
I'm thinking about it...

~~~
zacharygrafton
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. \- Isaac
Newton

If it's any consolation, I think that you are definitely in the category of
giants. I hope that your remaining time is as pain free as it can be.

------
ttsiodras
Just wanted to thank you Pieter - 0mq is an amazing piece of engineering (that
BTW, we are merging in our TASTE work at my section of the European Space
Agency). I didn't have the pleasure of meeting you face to face - but I have
seen your work, and you are leaving behind a magnificent creation... you
definitely made a mark on our world. Thank you!

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mangamadaiyan
I'm sorry to hear this, Pieter. I don't have a question, but would just like
to wish you well - as much as possible under the circumstances.

~~~
PieterH
Excellent question! (can you tell I'm bored in a hospital)?

Well, it all started when I was about three, and I discovered ants. Fire ants,
to be specific. Biting me all over cause I'd chosen to hide right on top of
their nest. There's a lesson there.

~~~
nkurz
Looking back, is there anything that stands out as something you should have
done differently? Or not done? Or just done? (intended to be as open-ended as
you care to interpret it)

~~~
PieterH
Working on closed source and building up a business was an utter waste of
time. I spent a lot of time with my kids the last years and should have done
that before.

Other than that, and about a thousand fuck ups that seem inevitable on the
road of life, I regret nothing, and admit nothing.

~~~
nkurz
Thanks. Does anything come to mind that you should have done more of (or
instead)?

~~~
PieterH
Probably more frequent checkups, to be honest. Though it's probably moot.

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adymitruk
Pieter inspired me to explore the "0" in other things through the success of
the simplicity of 0mq and what it brought to my work. Things are simpler and
easier for me, thanks to Pieter. I hope everyone gets to see the beauty and
power of minimalistic approaches. I'm humbled to know him.

------
jag_gunawardana
Lost for words on your diagnosis. I hope and pray, for you and your family,
that you will squeeze as much out of the short time left.

I'm not lost for words on your contribution to open source, how we think about
systems, and the great legacy of building blocks you've left for the rest of
us to carry on building with. Your work and writing was like a sledge hammer
to the way I thought about systems. After I was exposed to the ZMQ Guide and
years of building systems with ZMQ, I saw the problems and their solutions in
a very different way. Thank you for being that hammer - I owe you and am sad
that I won't get the chance to say thank you/buy that beer in person.

I always think that as long as my children, and their children etc. live then
there is a part of me that will never die. I think that if I ever produced
anything that had near the impact of ZMQ, then I would include that in the
list of things that told the world that I was here after I am gone.

The only question I have for you is, what made you realise that an open source
approach was the way forward for your work?

All the best Pieter, and thanks for all that you will leave behind -
especially the community.

~~~
PieterH
my first free software is from 1991. i realised the power of community
gradually from 2005 when fighting software patents in europe. i refined and
tested the techniques in the ffii for projects like digistan. i saw the
failure of money and power in amqp. in zeromq it took years to find the right
patterns. i documented much in culture and empire. sorry for the lower case, i
am on my phone without erdogansk spell check.

------
minsight
Thank you, Pieter, for making your ideas public. I learned many valuable
lessons from your designs, all the way back to Libero and the SFL. Your
generosity is greatly appreciated.

------
restalis
I've thought a while ago about what would I do in a similar situation, besides
you know - the common idea of spending more time with the loved ones, and I
would probably write a memoir, maybe a book even, and leave it to descendants
or to whomever will ever hear my name. I like to think that the mark people
like you left on human development would warrant future interest.

Sorry to hear about the sad news. It's the kind that usually leaves one
speechless.

~~~
PieterH
I'm lucky enough to have done all that since my first round, five years ago.
So now it's wrapping things up and saying goodbye.

~~~
knotz
Darn, but you seem to be quite a stoic.

Anyway, I want to thank you for the Imatix webserver (blast of the past),
Libero and the first few chapters of Scalable-C and all the other snippets of
knowledge and wisdom which I'm happy to carry around on my head. Good stuff.

~~~
PieterH
I'll try to continue work on scalable c. Seems like a useful thing.

~~~
knotz
It is, for me at least. But don't feel obliged :)

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squared
Man, sorry to hear about your troubles. Zmq was a refreshingly new idea in a
sea of otherwise cookie cutter message passing frameworks. Take some quick
selfie videos wishing your kids happy birthday, congratulations on graduation,
wise wedding words of advice, and general parental guidance. You'll live on
for decades through your children, and they'll love you more getting to see
you at choice moments in their life. Peace be with you.

------
mehdix
I got to know zmq while doing my master thesis, I got interested in the way
zmq makes complicated stuff simple. I followed the track and read a couple of
your books and articles, learned about C4.1 and whole the community. I liked
the way you welcome new comers and your quick replies. One feels close without
even knowing you much.

The net is a better place with people like you.

~~~
PieterH
Thanks for taking that journey. I've never had such joy in coding as since we
started using C4.1 in our projects.

------
bobthecimmerian
Funny, I read Culture and Empire before I got to use ZeroMQ at work. Small
world. For what it's worth - all but nothing, I guess - I am sorry you are
ill.

I loved the book. Thank you for your contributions to the world by writing it,
and your contributions to open source. I'm sorry I never got the chance to
meet you.

~~~
PieterH
Glad you liked the book. Even though I'm not an economist :)

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RantyDave
Damn. Damn, I'm sorry. Your work is excellent and you will be remembered for
it, wish I could say the same.

Now go have some fun.

~~~
PieterH
Now you made me all weepy.

I'm fighting off a resistant infection that has decided to invade my lungs as
well. My definition of fun is to get the doctor to turn up the oxygen one more
notch. "5 litres per hour man? Are you crazy? Ye cannae handle it!"

------
sphaero
I'm shocked. What's the prognosis? I must say you are a great inspiration for
making stuff that's become so complex simple again. We really need that in a
world full of people who understand less and are being abstracted away. I
was/am really looking forward to a zmq hackathon again.

~~~
PieterH
Prognosis is so shitty my spell checker can't deal with it. Chances are I've
less than a month. I'll slowly choke to death. Happily Belgium has euthanasia
and I've already told my doctors to plan for that.

~~~
knotz
That's bad. Any chance to go home?

~~~
PieterH
Yes, I'll be home for a while at least until I need oxygen and morphine again.

------
antman
Your writings are always inspiring. May I suggest a book for the boring hours?
Good luck!

[http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-
Lib...](http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Modern-Library-
ebook/dp/B000FC1JAI)

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yreynhout
Maybe an odd, somewhat morbid question, but I dare to ask: what is to become
of your digital legacy - your websites, trademarks, contributions,
entitlements, books, twitter/facebook account, etc ... ? Have you given this
any thought?

~~~
yreynhout
I hope it's understood that I wish Pieter to stay with us for a very long
time. Yet, this news made me reflect on my own digital legacy and wanted to
hear what his thoughts were about this subject.

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dbc00per
Pieter,

I didn't know who you were before today, but I now know you are a badass sir.
Had a very close friend last year diagnosed with same disease / prognosis. My
heart goes out to your and your family.

All the best.

------
jupiter909
You may say goodbye but you'll never be gone.

Many thanks for sharing your ideas and views on the world, they have planted a
seed in many a mind. Your influence is far greater than many could imagine.

------
nigrioid
I'm so sorry. Like many others, I'd like to thank you for your ideas, passion
and generosity. The world is a better place because of you.

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robin_bb
ZeroMQ and its descendants will outlive us all. Pieter, you should be proud to
have achieved so much.

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arjn
Hi Pieter,

I did a small PoC for my team using zeromq a few years ago. The performance
was way above other related systems.

Thank you for your contributions.

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ajkajk
Sorry to hear this pieter,no words to express ,you are an great human being

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greatadrian
Thank you Pieter for your work! Also, I wanted to thank you for your great and
inspiring talk at Euro SciPy 2015 in Cambridge!

~~~
PieterH
Thanks, and don't forget all my talks are now on Amazon Prime at $9.95 each!

Just kidding, they're on hintjens.com.

~~~
prosteen
It'd be worth it if you weren't. You are truly one of the great reads/listens
in this or any community.

