Memories of An SGML Pioneer: Yuri Rubinsky (1952-1996)
Yuri Rubinsky, one of the world's most beloved and energetic promoters of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), passed away on January 21, 1996. This document supplies links to a number of communications and initiatives which commemorate his life of selfless and dedicated service. The Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation now supports Yuri's memory in various ways.
Here is a picture of the one whose life we honor [credits to OCLC]:
Another picture of Yuri is available from the OCLC server via the tribute from Stuart Weibel below.
Eulogies
[This section created in January, 1996, and last updated April 16, 1997.]
An summary notice about the untimely passing of Yuri Rubinsky has been included on the "What's New" page.
Here are several memories and tributes I have collected from various places:
- From Glenn Adams
- From Tim Berners-Lee
- From Michel Biezunski
- From Harvey Bingham
- From Harvey Bingham: "Wait, That's not all, There's More"
- From Jon Bosak
- From Tim Bray
- From Martin Bryan
- From Gerry Bourguignon
- From Len Bullard
- From Linda Burman
- From Lou Burnard
- From Barbara Burrows
- From CSSC (Canadian Strategic Software Consortium)
- From François Chahuneau
- From Steven Champeon
- From Ford Clancy
- From Ian Darwin
- From Dale Dougherty [mirrored; (see [alt)]
- From Dale Dougherty in WebReview; [mirror]
- From Chet Ensign
- From Chris Espinosa
- From Peter Flynn
- From Douglas Forer
- From John Gardner
- From Pamela Gennusa, with Tommie Usdin and Elaine Brennan
- From Charles F. Goldfarb
- From Ian S. Graham
- From Donna Hanlon
- From Greg Ioannou
- From Jesse Kaysen
- From George Kerscher
- From Eliot Kimber
- From Michael Leventhal
- From Håkon Lie
- From Josh Lubell
- From Tom Magliery
- From Murray Maloney
- From James David Mason
- From Erik Naggum
- From Steven R. Newcomb
- From Mike Paciello
- From George Raudabaugh
- From Brian Redway
- From Sandy Ressler
- From Janina Sajka
- From Barry Schaeffer
- From Eric Severson
- From Jonathan Seybold [see also the mirror copy and the bibliographic entry]
- From SGML Open: [Eric Severson, Corel Corporation, Carla Corkern, Laura Walker, François Chahuneau, Eric Freese] [mirror]
- From Peter Sharpe
- From SoftQuad, 1995 Annual Report. [mirror copy]
- From Michael Sperberg-McQueen
- From Raymond Stachowiak
- From Jim Sterken
- From Joe Sullivan
- From Marcy Thompson
- From Stuart Weibel, also in JASIS 48/7 (July 1997) 583 [local mirror]
- From Tom Wesley
- From Quintin Yardley
See also:
- <TAG> 9/2 (February 1996). The issue is dedicated to the memory of Yuri Rubinsky. Tributes by: Joy Blake, William W. Davis, Marion Elledge, Charles Goldfarb, Brian Travis, Deni Travis, Dale Waldt.
- The SGML Europe '96 Conference, sponsored by the GCA, is being dedicated to the memory of Yuri Rubinsky.
The Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation
June, 1996. See the description of The Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation, provided by Murray Maloney. "Statement of Purpose: The Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation is dedicated to commemorating the genius of the late Yuri Rubinsky by bringing together workers from a broad spectrum of disciplines to stimulate research and development of technologies which will enhance human access to information of all kinds. Recognizing that all human capabilities are limited in various ways, it seeks to achieve, to the fullest extent possible, equality of access for all."
A special entry for The Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation is also available as part of the SGML Web Page.
Electronic Wake
SoftQuad made arrangements with Erik Naggum in January 1996 to use the Usenet News group comp.text.sgml "as a medium for an "electronic wake" where anyone can send their comments and eulogies. Please feel free to post your own comments to that newsgroup. Erik will be collecting all of the messages that come in and they will be arranged for a suitable tribute to Yuri at a later date. If you do not regularly post to the newsgroup, you may send the message to CTS as regular email: send the email to: comp-text-sgml@naggum.no Alternately, send your contribution to Murray Maloney at SoftQuad.
