Rob Levin

Robert Levin (December 16, 1955 – September 16, 2006), also known as lilo, was the founder of the freenode IRC network and Executive Director of the PDPC charity that helped fund freenode. A computer programmer since 1968, he worked as an administrator and an applications programmer from 1978 onwards.

[edit] #LinPeople an The Linux Internet Support Co-Operative

In 1994, Rob created the #LinPeople channel on EFnet as a gathering place for those interested in learning about the Linux operating system. After frustration with the stability of the network, he registered linpeople.org and hosted an IRC server there. He then invited the #LinPeople channel regulars to join the new server.

Around this time, Rob began canvasing the #LinPeople regulars for support in the form of financial contribution and agreement to abide by a set of policies which he claimed were based on the teachings from The Tao of Pooh. These policies have since been transferred to Freenode's philosophy and policy pages. Rob wanted to create an organizing body to which the regulars of #LinPeople could belong. This informal organization was referred to as "The Linux Internet Support Co-Operative," or LISC^[2].

The #LinPeople channel moved with Rob from server to server and remains active on irc.freenode.net. As of June 2008, many of the original members of the channel can still be found there.

[edit] OpenProjects

From 1994 onwards, he worked to encourage the use of Internet Relay Chat for Free and Open Source projects. He was one of the founders of the OpenProjects Network (OPN), which quickly grew to become the largest IRC network used by the free software community. The OpenProjects.net domain was later put up for sale,^[3] but did not sell.

[edit] Freenode

After courting The Free Software Foundation, Levin removed "Open"Project and replaced it with "Free"Node in an effort to make the IRC network more palatable to GNU. As the leader of Freenode and later the Executive Director of the PDPC, a 501(c)(3) charity founded in Texas, Levin was responsible for fundraising activity for the PDPC and in this capacity he made numerous appeals for funds, often to all users connected to freenode (via a "global notice").

[edit] Head of PDPC, and later life

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He later supported himself totally through his status as the sole paid employee of PDPC. Levin at one point solicited funds to repay a list of debts, including student loans, and to purchase a motorhome (RV) for him and his wife to live. In total this amounted to a $312,000 fundraising drive as part of the now defunct SpinHome project which doubled as his personal blog.

[edit] Death

On September 12, 2006, he was struck by a car while riding a bicycle at night in Houston, Texas in a hit-and-run collision. He was not wearing a helmet.^[4] After the collision, it was reported that he was hospitalized for several days. He died on September 16.^[5][6][7][8]

[edit] The origin of his nickname

Contrary to popular belief, his nickname, lilo, did not come from the Linux Loader nor from the movie Lilo & Stitch. It stems from John Varley's The Ophiuchi Hotline, where lilo is the female main character of the story. In his own words:^[9]

I'm named after a favorite science fiction character, in John Varley's THE OPHIUCHI HOTLINE. I am not named after the LInux LOader, and I didn't write it! :) -- lilo, winter 1993

Nor am I named after the little girl in the movie, nor the air mattress, nor Last In Last Out. ;) -- lilo, summer 2003

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikinews has related news:

PDPC President Rob Levin has died

• bloggage and dunnage - Rob Levin's freenode-related blog.
• Rob Levin - Memorial at Freenode.net