Dan Williams Represented Real Diversity in Linux
A well-known kernel (Linux, kernel.org) hacker has died. As noted in LWN (by Corbet, associated with the Linux Foundation), he was a colleague from the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board and is well known for his work at Intel and inclusive language drive etc.
He seemed like a very good man and one who did in fact represent real inclusion, not merely buzzwords, as he was from a US minority in the US. After his sudden death a child with special needs is left in a tough place and "[t]here is a support effort underway for Dan's family as they come to terms with this loss," Corbet notes. As one commenter put it: "Let's please have a celebration of life at Plumbers to commemorate Dan's huge contribution to this community, as we did for Daniel Bristot de Oliveira two years ago!"
"I just heard the news and I’m absolutely gutted. Dan was the best of us. Kind and thoughtful. Dedicated and intelligent. He was one of my favourite people to talk to when we had the opportunity. He will be greatly missed," wrote another person.
Unlike some opportunistic piggybackers, Williams probably understood based on personal experience what it was like to be marginalised and discriminated against. Stereotypes or stigma haven't vanished, instead he did. █