Erstellt am: 6. 10. 2011 - 11:14 Uhr

Today's Webtip: Trauer

People across the planet share their grief at the loss of a visionary.

I am sad. And I am not alone.

Steve Jobs was probably the most influential man in my life. No, he wasn't a father figure, and he wasn't someone I idolized or wanted to be like, but he provided me with the tools that I used to form my life.

I got my first paid job programming Apple's for small businesses. It was the Novation Applecat connected to an Apple IIe that taught me the joys of exploring the phone network, connected me with other (no longer so) isolated geeks across the U.S. A Macintosh was used as the basis of my first academic works, and Hypercard set me off on an interactive art tangent that brought me to Austria.

Work in desktop publishing and Macintosh system administration kept me fed and functional in the 90's, and the Next helped bring us the WWW. Something that saved my sanity and cost me more than a few sleepless nights in the last several years.

And finally, he brought me Pixar and some of the best movies I have been able to enjoy together with my kids.

And today is the day that many people will be sharing their experiences with the man and the tools he has given us.

Scott M. Fulton has written an interesting article that diverges a bit from what many people are writing. It's a look back at what Apple and Steve Jobs meant to budding young geeks in the 70's and 80's. The people who went on to create many of the things we enjoy today.

Dan Coleman has written quite a bit as well, and he also posted a video of Steve demoing the first Macintosh back in 1984. Those were the days...

And finally we have a lovely little video featuring a speech Steve gave at a Stanford graduation ceremony.

Thanks Steve. You helped me find what I love, and gave me a way to make it happen.