4 ms·

Holding On and Letting Go

272 points by ghc 12y ago

simonista 12y ago
How sad. I got to hear him talk in person about functional reactive programing for musical interfaces, and it's a wonderful talk and really neat ideas. If you're interested, I believe this is the talk: https://vimeo.com/96744621 https://vimeo.com/96744621. Rest in peace.
fragmede 12y ago
He was the principal designer of the Haskell programming language, as well as being a CS professor at Yale, in case anyone is wondering.
- steego 12y ago
  He also collaborated with Conal Elliott to bring us functional reactive programming as we know it today. (Though, I'm sure Conal would be more than helpful to point out how most implementations still have it wrong.)
- brechmos 12y ago
  I was wondering. Thank you. And RIP.
- ics 12y ago
  And for readers, the author of The Haskell School of Expression and numerous interesting papers (and libraries) on Haskell and multimedia. http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/hudak/SOE/ http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/hudak/SOE/ https://github.com/Euterpea/Euterpea https://github.com/Euterpea/Euterpea
- tomjen3 12y ago
  Thank you. As a web-dev I had never heard of the man, but the submitter seemed to think that everybody knew him.
  - steego 12y ago
    > the submitter seemed to think that everybody knew him I get it. Sometimes, I forget not everybody knows my heroes. Personally speaking, I think Paul Hudak is worthy of broader recognition given his contributions to the functional programming community. As a web developer, I'm sure you've read or worked with something based on Reactive Programming. Paul Hudak and Conal Elliott and played a critical role in defining the ideas behind reactive programming based on denotational design and a continuous time model. Their first attempt to create a pure, compositional, correct and performant FRP system in a purely functional language has had a lasting impact in how people attempt to approach reactive programming. Nearly 20 years later, you can see this idea really begin to ripple through the industry. I think its important for developers to share stories about the giants of our industry, both past and present. Our field has such an incredible history and an even more incredible recent history unfolding right in front of us. People like to tell the story that we're a field obsessed with fads, but I'm not sure I entirely agree. When you begin to really look into the history of various ideas and their communities, you'll be surprised at how long some ideas have been incubating and how timeless their qualities really are. I'm constantly amazed at all the great people people who work in our field. If there was one way I'd like to see it grow, I'd love people to take the time to tell the stories of these amazing people and explain their ideas.
- ky3 12y ago
  He was the principal designer of the Haskell programming language Haskell remains the only programming language designed by committee that doesn't suck. To trivialize the other members of that committee actually does injustice to Paul Hudak because it's a rarer art working to bring out the best from among one's distinctioned and distinctly opinionated peers. In version 1.x, I count roughly a dozen members. By the time of the Haskell 98 standard, the membership doubled. Source: http://haskell.cs.yale.edu/?post_type=publication&p=134 http://haskell.cs.yale.edu/?post_type=publication&p=134 The above is the Haskell 1.2 report from 1992. Hudak's name comes first before Peyton Jones' and Wadler's -- the two other editors -- but that's only because they conformed to the last-name-alphabetical-order tradition. Also, the editorship continued to rotate among other people, all the way forth to Simon Marlow, who did Haskell 2010.
sgt 12y ago
I hate to say it, but I clicked on this link anticipating an anti-Go article. Very sad read. RIP.
dang 12y ago
We've changed the title to the one Cristina gave to her deeply moving article. The submitted title was "Paul Hudak is dead". If someone confirms that Paul Hudak has died, we can make the title say so. This article says only that he is near death. How tasteless to jump the gun. Edit: This little article deserves to be read and re-read on its own terms. It's so specifically about this moment—the prolonged transition. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and a true gift of love, shared with everyone. I don't think I've ever read anything like it, especially the second paragraph. Thank you, Cristina.
- seanmcdirmid 12y ago
  Could you somehow put his name in the title, like maybe "Paul Hudak: Holding On and Letting Go"? Many of us will recognize the name and have specific concerns.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
- dang 12y ago
  > So, I really don't agree with the title change here, mods Please read https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9431395 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9431395 and tell us how you know he is dead.
msie 12y ago
You can read what I believe are Paul's own words in the earlier entries.
nickysielicki 12y ago
I am speechless. This piece is without fault. The emotion is coming through in full force. Thank you to Cristina, for sharing at such a vulnerable time. It changed my night.
dsg42 12y ago
His class convinced me to become a CS major. He made computer science beautiful and fun, and was one of the kindest professors I ever had. Plus he'd take down college kids at basketball up until he was diagnosed with cancer. We were all so happy to have him back when he beat cancer the first time. I can't believe he won't be around to touch another generation of students.
dsg42 12y ago
His class convinced me to become a CS major. He made computer science beautiful and fun, and was one of the kindest professors I ever had. Plus he'd take down college kids at basketball up until he was diagnosed with cancer. We were all so happy to have him back when he beat cancer the first time. I can't believe he won't be around to touch another generation of students.
seesomesense 12y ago
He will be remembered in the Haskell community.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
dav43 12y ago
Pulls, and then tears on your heart strings. Worth a quick read.
boothead 12y ago
That was absolutely beautiful.

272 points by ghc 12y ago

How sad. I got to hear him talk in person about functional reactive programing for musical interfaces, and it's a wonderful talk and really neat ideas. If you're interested, I believe this is the talk: https://vimeo.com/96744621 https://vimeo.com/96744621. Rest in peace.

fragmede 12y ago

He was the principal designer of the Haskell programming language, as well as being a CS professor at Yale, in case anyone is wondering.

steego 12y ago
He also collaborated with Conal Elliott to bring us functional reactive programming as we know it today. (Though, I'm sure Conal would be more than helpful to point out how most implementations still have it wrong.)
brechmos 12y ago
I was wondering. Thank you. And RIP.
ics 12y ago
And for readers, the author of The Haskell School of Expression and numerous interesting papers (and libraries) on Haskell and multimedia. http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/hudak/SOE/ http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/hudak/SOE/ https://github.com/Euterpea/Euterpea https://github.com/Euterpea/Euterpea
tomjen3 12y ago
Thank you. As a web-dev I had never heard of the man, but the submitter seemed to think that everybody knew him.
- steego 12y ago
  > the submitter seemed to think that everybody knew him I get it. Sometimes, I forget not everybody knows my heroes. Personally speaking, I think Paul Hudak is worthy of broader recognition given his contributions to the functional programming community. As a web developer, I'm sure you've read or worked with something based on Reactive Programming. Paul Hudak and Conal Elliott and played a critical role in defining the ideas behind reactive programming based on denotational design and a continuous time model. Their first attempt to create a pure, compositional, correct and performant FRP system in a purely functional language has had a lasting impact in how people attempt to approach reactive programming. Nearly 20 years later, you can see this idea really begin to ripple through the industry. I think its important for developers to share stories about the giants of our industry, both past and present. Our field has such an incredible history and an even more incredible recent history unfolding right in front of us. People like to tell the story that we're a field obsessed with fads, but I'm not sure I entirely agree. When you begin to really look into the history of various ideas and their communities, you'll be surprised at how long some ideas have been incubating and how timeless their qualities really are. I'm constantly amazed at all the great people people who work in our field. If there was one way I'd like to see it grow, I'd love people to take the time to tell the stories of these amazing people and explain their ideas.
ky3 12y ago
He was the principal designer of the Haskell programming language Haskell remains the only programming language designed by committee that doesn't suck. To trivialize the other members of that committee actually does injustice to Paul Hudak because it's a rarer art working to bring out the best from among one's distinctioned and distinctly opinionated peers. In version 1.x, I count roughly a dozen members. By the time of the Haskell 98 standard, the membership doubled. Source: http://haskell.cs.yale.edu/?post_type=publication&p=134 http://haskell.cs.yale.edu/?post_type=publication&p=134 The above is the Haskell 1.2 report from 1992. Hudak's name comes first before Peyton Jones' and Wadler's -- the two other editors -- but that's only because they conformed to the last-name-alphabetical-order tradition. Also, the editorship continued to rotate among other people, all the way forth to Simon Marlow, who did Haskell 2010.

sgt 12y ago

I hate to say it, but I clicked on this link anticipating an anti-Go article. Very sad read. RIP.

dang 12y ago

We've changed the title to the one Cristina gave to her deeply moving article. The submitted title was "Paul Hudak is dead". If someone confirms that Paul Hudak has died, we can make the title say so. This article says only that he is near death. How tasteless to jump the gun. Edit: This little article deserves to be read and re-read on its own terms. It's so specifically about this moment—the prolonged transition. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and a true gift of love, shared with everyone. I don't think I've ever read anything like it, especially the second paragraph. Thank you, Cristina.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago
Could you somehow put his name in the title, like maybe "Paul Hudak: Holding On and Letting Go"? Many of us will recognize the name and have specific concerns.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

dang 12y ago
> So, I really don't agree with the title change here, mods Please read https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9431395 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9431395 and tell us how you know he is dead.

msie 12y ago

You can read what I believe are Paul's own words in the earlier entries.

nickysielicki 12y ago

I am speechless. This piece is without fault. The emotion is coming through in full force. Thank you to Cristina, for sharing at such a vulnerable time. It changed my night.

dsg42 12y ago

His class convinced me to become a CS major. He made computer science beautiful and fun, and was one of the kindest professors I ever had. Plus he'd take down college kids at basketball up until he was diagnosed with cancer. We were all so happy to have him back when he beat cancer the first time. I can't believe he won't be around to touch another generation of students.

dsg42 12y ago

seesomesense 12y ago

He will be remembered in the Haskell community.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

dav43 12y ago

Pulls, and then tears on your heart strings. Worth a quick read.

boothead 12y ago

That was absolutely beautiful.