One comment in the first reddit discussion about this explained that irc regulars became suspicious and asked his family to check up on him. http://www.reddit.c

One comment in the first reddit discussion about this explained that irc regulars became suspicious and asked his family to check up on him. http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/8u5dp/erik_naggum_19652009_rip/c0afqzh http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/8u5dp/erik_nagg... This doesn't say outright that his death was discovered due to his absence on irc, but strongly suggests so. It also suggests that he had some family but wasn't in daily contact with them.