Re: Obituary for Christian Haider
Jerry Kott <[email protected]> Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:31:51 -0700
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.lang.smalltalk.vwnc |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--Apple-Mail=_1129D1C4-2E66-4CDA-BE02-25FE05DD04C3 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_1B80BEEC-3227-41C6-8591-B836A9677B82" --Apple-Mail=_1B80BEEC-3227-41C6-8591-B836A9677B82 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 This is indeed very sad news. Christian was a dear friend of mine, we = spent many hours talking Smalltalk, science, and all sorts of other = things at the ESUG conferences. He and Libby spent some time with us = here on Vancouver Island, what a fabulous time that was! He will be missed. Jerry Kott This message has been digitally signed. PGP Fingerprint: A9181736DD2F1B6CC7CF9E51AC8514F48C0979A5 > On Apr 11, 2025, at 07:40, Thomas Brodt <[email protected]> = wrote: >=20 > It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Christian Haider - = developer, forward thinker and Smalltalk enthusiast- who passed away on = April 7, 2025 at the age of 64. >=20 > = https://www.a3aan.st/esug2015/index.php/view/21/03+Tuesday/IMG_5387.jpg = <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.a3aan.st/esug2015/index.php/view/= 21/03*Tuesday/IMG_5387.jpg__;Kw!!DZ3fjg!7zeqi6cMpJKI4cTGyuI6MpAiXo5Iwf8f7m= E4xw156ppCsTIbMqHuEUctjQKndadyiyPQsTb6SEQmutvgfJi2Utu8W7g4sw$> > Christian was much more than just a programmer. For him, Smalltalk was = not just a language - it was a tool for thinking, understanding and = creating. His love of object orientation was not a technical whim, but = an expression of his desire to find elegant and understandable solutions = for complex situations. >=20 > After studying computer science at the TU Berlin, Christian got a = grant from the University of Tokyo to work on programming the game GO. = In Japan he met his Canadian wife, Libby. >=20 > Back in Germany, he contributed to software development at Deutsche = Bahn before founding Smalltalked Visuals GmbH in 2002. >=20 > His best-known project: smallCharts - an impressive example of what is = possible with Smalltalk. Precise, well thought-out, sustainable - all = components of his style. smallCharts was a graphics tool developed by = Christian which created premium financial performance charts for the = financial print media. >=20 > In the last 10 years of his life in L=C3=BCbeck, Christian became more = and more interested in simplifying existing digital information for the = common good through transparency, open data and comprehensive = visualizations. PDFtalk, CoVid-19 charts and the budget data portal = unsere-gelder.de <http://unsere-gelder.de/>, all developed to explain = and simplify and improve the world using Smalltalk. >=20 > Those who knew him remember his clarity, his passion and the = conviction that code was only =E2=80=98good=E2=80=99 when it functioned = and looked great. >=20 > Since the beginning of the coronavirus era, we had been meeting = regularly in a small online group. These meetings - originally born out = of the situation - quickly became a fixed anchor point where we = exchanged technical ideas and personal matters. Through these = conversations we really got to know Christian: as an attentive listener, = clever thinker and warm-hearted person. >=20 > It was particularly impressive that Christian also supervised and = trained two apprentices during this time - with the same patience, = passion and care that characterized him as a person and developer. His = presence in our group enriched us - and we will miss him very much. >=20 > Christian so enjoyed being part of our community - keep sharing! >=20 > And with every object, with every clean method, we send him a silent = greeting: Thank you, Christian >=20 > Marten Feldtman, Thomas Brodt, Peter Ursprung, Joachim Tuchel, Michal = Balda, Stephan Eggermont, Sabine Manaa >=20 --Apple-Mail=_1B80BEEC-3227-41C6-8591-B836A9677B82 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">This is indeed = very sad news. Christian was a dear friend of mine, we spent many hours = talking Smalltalk, science, and all sorts of other things at the ESUG = conferences. He and Libby spent some time with us here on Vancouver = Island, what a fabulous time that was!<div><br></div><div>He will be = missed.<br><div><br><div> <div><b>Jerry Kott</b></div><div style=3D"font-size: 9px;">This message = has been digitally signed. </div><div style=3D"font-size: 9px;">PGP = Fingerprint:</div><div style=3D"font-size: = 9px;">A9181736DD2F1B6CC7CF9E51AC8514F48C0979A5</div><div><br></div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div> <div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On Apr 11, 2025, at 07:40, = Thomas Brodt <[email protected]> wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><div = class=3D"WordSection1" style=3D"page: WordSection1; caret-color: rgb(0, = 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; = font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; = text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: = normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; = text-decoration: none;"><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm = 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span lang=3D"EN-US" = style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It is with = deep sadness that we bid farewell to Christian Haider = - <b>developer, forward thinker and Smalltalk enthusiast</b>- who = passed away on April 7, 2025 at the age of 64.<br><br></span><span = lang=3D"DE" style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><a = href=3D"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.a3aan.st/esug2015/index.ph= p/view/21/03*Tuesday/IMG_5387.jpg__;Kw!!DZ3fjg!7zeqi6cMpJKI4cTGyuI6MpAiXo5= Iwf8f7mE4xw156ppCsTIbMqHuEUctjQKndadyiyPQsTb6SEQmutvgfJi2Utu8W7g4sw$" = title=3D"https://www.a3aan.st/esug2015/index.php/view/21/03+Tuesday/IMG_53= 87.jpg" style=3D"color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: = underline;"><span style=3D"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: = rgb(17, 85, = 204);">https://www.a3aan.st/esug2015/index.php/view/21/03+Tuesday/IMG_5387= .jpg</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" = style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, = serif;"><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: = Arial, sans-serif;">Christian was much more than just a programmer. For = him, <b>Smalltalk </b>was not just a language - it was a tool = for thinking, understanding and creating. His love of object orientation = was not a technical whim, but an expression of his desire to = find <b>elegant and understandable solutions for complex = situations.</b></span><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, = 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm = 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span = lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, = sans-serif;">After studying computer science at the TU Berlin, Christian = got a grant from the University of Tokyo to work on programming the = game <b>GO.</b> In Japan he met his Canadian wife, = Libby. </span><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: = rgb(33, 33, 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" = style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, = serif;"><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: = Arial, sans-serif;">Back in Germany, he contributed to software = development at Deutsche Bahn before founding <b>Smalltalked Visuals = GmbH</b> in 2002.</span><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: = rgb(33, 33, 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" = style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, = serif;"><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: = Arial, sans-serif;">His best-known = project: <b>smallCharts</b> - an impressive example of what is = possible with <b>Smalltalk</b>. Precise, well thought-out, = sustainable - all components of his = style. <b>smallCharts</b> was a graphics tool developed by = Christian which created <b>premium financial performance = charts</b> for the financial print media.</span><span lang=3D"EN-US" = style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; = font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: = 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In the last 10 years of his life = in L=C3=BCbeck, Christian became more and more interested in simplifying = existing digital information for the common good through transparency, = open data and comprehensive = visualizations. <b>PDFtalk</b>, <b>CoVid-19</b> charts = and the budget data portal <b><a href=3D"http://unsere-gelder.de/" = style=3D"color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: = underline;">unsere-gelder.de</a></b>, all developed to explain and = simplify and improve the world using <b>Smalltalk</b>.</span><span = lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, = 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm = 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span = lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, = sans-serif;">Those who knew him remember his clarity, his passion and = the conviction that code was only =E2=80=98good=E2=80=99 when it = functioned and looked great. </span><span lang=3D"EN-US" = style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; = font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: = 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Since the beginning of the = coronavirus era, we had been meeting regularly in a small online group. = These meetings - originally born out of the situation - quickly became a = fixed anchor point where we exchanged technical ideas and personal = matters. Through these conversations we really got to know Christian: as = an attentive listener, clever thinker and warm-hearted = person.</span><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, = 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm = 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span = lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, = sans-serif;">It was particularly impressive that Christian also = supervised and trained two apprentices during this time - with the same = patience, passion and care that characterized him as a person and = developer. His presence in our group enriched us - and we will miss him = very much.</span><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, = 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm = 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span = lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, = sans-serif;">Christian so enjoyed being part of our community - keep = sharing!</span><span lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, = 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm = 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span = lang=3D"EN-US" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, = sans-serif;">And with every object, with every clean method, we send him = a silent greeting: Thank you, Christian</span><span lang=3D"EN-US" = style=3D"color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; font-size: 12pt; = font-family: Aptos, serif;"><span lang=3D"DE" style=3D"font-size: 11pt; = font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Marten Feldtman, Thomas Brodt, Peter = Ursprung, Joachim Tuchel, Michal Balda, Stephan Eggermont, Sabine = Manaa</span></p></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></ht= ml>= --Apple-Mail=_1B80BEEC-3227-41C6-8591-B836A9677B82-- --Apple-Mail=_1129D1C4-2E66-4CDA-BE02-25FE05DD04C3 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=signature.asc Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name=signature.asc Content-Description: Message signed with OpenPGP -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQIzBAEBCAAdFiEE7yUkZwCBwCtRTeXrUX4/z1otyPEFAmf5Q/cACgkQUX4/z1ot yPFFLxAAkAo9J53P2j40r3J5ENsoVgfezaCxcePTu13FfEGBzEW5Hyz37aU2Oiuz KfkODE7TPUQJj8I+EXsFRkScymT9VfxbKTqi1NN9blB+T8Z+ywF6ipdYxUgoZZUO 4g3JHbGgZU/U4cqc9Ev3fLyJCAN1l0AuOjV9r/jhawVhBrbwYmiVCuyozIDxTlXG XubvOee8s36C/rAAjfW189OgS4oCJlu+h80UwhUFhmPGJnu5OQvPEIJ6S+qcBs7P 2hUwkK0MYWyU+cZB5tIpwbRfWeU3y0NIKow0aJ1c6yHD/4hisG4aZzpLjIdeRJ81 vNSx7mr1pQXvvWcO3mX3W2WGJTg2QpIPJEJr2gPmAiidC9aY2cbv7Np7/xziFm8x TxO7llmyk5bZFBRwtMgv5Het68bV7r/qfSZfH327Z+l/3b2Jbicnz5GJtubr3Lnu dRMfvWg9NOoGRIiUzfHaKcfM9dxFVLBRyx8NQ+y2pvw0fhYy1DrLHouuksxCvkBk LPGAXQ2ElbC0ulcvuo/q2XyrRsHlAPoWBa3nGFH5dVnL7sr9NRxVTjzGAMM17tZH gPIMI/VmRwFVRifSy3lCTwWM/hGw4GTSEKCTVo/WZ0Yi73bClLtM144aUYcA55Sx cvqAwR4r1UYyTkY40FXsZIP8kTTh2xsthLYCjJbxylmv18saMnw= =PPha -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --Apple-Mail=_1129D1C4-2E66-4CDA-BE02-25FE05DD04C3--