All DatabasesMacTech Vol 12-1996
Hess
Volume Number: 12
Issue Number: 3
Column Tag: A Dedication
A Dedication
By MacTech Magazine Staff and Friends
A Dedication to Our Friend Robert
In the midst of Macworld Expo/San Francisco, the industry suffered the loss of one of
our friends - Robert Hess. This issue of MacTech Magazine is dedicated to Robert. And
instead of a column from myself or Scott, we’re using this space for those in the
industry to let us in on their view of Robert.
Even if you never knew Robert Hess, read through the below notes - they talk of a
man who epitomized the quintessential Macintosh attitude. Take a minute and reflect on
Robert, Macintosh, and what our industry is about.
The obituary for Robert from our friends at MacWEEK read:
Jan. 12, 1996 - Robert Hess, 29, an Associate Editor at MacWEEK, passed away
this morning from complications due to pneumonia.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that contributions in Robert’s name
be made to Digital Queers, 584 Castro St. #560, San Francisco, CA 94114.
Anyone wishing to make a personal remembrance of Robert can do so by sending
mail to his family at memorial@macweek.com.
As for myself, I can tell you that many times, I’m embarrassed to be a part of the
press. The feeding frenzy that takes place from time to time is simply amazing. But
watching Robert, seeing his ethics/standards, and reading his writings always made me
proud to be a part of the press, the Macintosh industry - and most importantly,
Robert’s friend.
Neil Ticktin, Publisher
Some Letters From Friends
It might seem odd to dedicate an issue of a Macintosh programming magazine to a news
reporter, even a reporter who wrote for a newsweekly for Macintosh managers; but
let me tell you about how Robert spent a few days just a few months ago.
Head down, buried in his work, he sat quietly, working. Hour after hour, few
signs of motion offered any hint that he was anything more than a zombie craning over
the keyboard. Sure, his fingers moved over the keyboard, the mouse moved this way
and that. Can after can of Dr. Pepper joined the growing crowd of empties, each one
just reducing the amount of available mousing space. Was this the image of the
investigative reporter working on the big story? No. It was Robert doing something he
loved. For three days straight he worked on his hack. MacHack 95 might have been just
another story to any other reporter, but to Robert it was a full-intensity recreational
activity.
While I worked with my hacking buddy on our hack, Robert sat next to us,
working feverishly. While we did trick photography for an About box, Robert pored
over Inside Macintosh volumes. I don’t remember his seat being vacant any longer than
it took him to go get another Dr. Pepper. He was in the groove, doing what some only
dream of doing - hacking nonstop at MacHack. The only major interruption I recall was
when he jumped up from his seat because he had just realized that he had consumed
fourteen cans of Dr. Pepper in a single session, and he was trembling from the caffeine
overload.
Robert built a reputation as a sharp investigative reporter, and regularly caused
a stir at Apple with his accurate (if sometimes unpopular) reporting. Robert had a
passion about the Macintosh, and about doing things right. And, as you’ve now read, his
passion extended to Macintosh programming. If you ever wondered how his stories
seemed so technically on the mark, now you know part of his secret.
Not only will we miss his contributions to the quality of MacWEEK’s reporting,
but we’ll miss the loss of one from our community of Macintosh programmers.
Scott T Boyd, Editor Emeritus
Robert was a smart, funny, nice guy who gave great e-mail and was a fine and
sometimes brilliant writer. I will miss him.
Bob LeVitus
I was a beta tester for Robert. He had an attitude, when he ran into a problem, of
‘I can get it to work, regardless of what people are telling me.’ To me, this sums up
what being a Mac developer and loving the Macintosh are about.
Jonathan Duke, Boston College
I only knew Robert online, but I participated in beta-tests of a few of his
programs. I recall that sometimes it would seem my mailbox scrolled with new
versions! Robert really understood that programs are used by people, and he was
always open to implementing good suggestions. He was a wonderful example of the kind
of developer that makes the Mac all it can be for everyone. He will be missed.
Neil Shapiro, MAUG Forums Manager on CompuServe
A bulldog with keen instincts and natural journalistic talent. We were fortunate
to have him in our sphere. It’s somehow fitting that he would pass on during the
quintessential Macintosh love feast [Macworld Expo].
Kathy Kruse, PR Professional
Robert Hess stuck his neck out time and time again when the
Metrowerks/Symantec/Apple Power Macintosh war was being waged by so many
hard-working engineers from all sides. Robert worked the trenches and was often
berated by people he offended with his no-nonsense articles. He was a straight-shooter
who searched for the truth and didn’t hold back his punches. I loved Robert’s candor
and knew that I always had to tell him the truth, no matter what the impact on our
company would be. During those two years, Robert became a friend; through our
hardships, he watched us grow. Our hearts are broken by his passing on. He was a
great, young man, faithful to himself as much as he was honest to others. May our
memory of him guide us in our lives.
Greg Galanos, President & CEO, metrowerks inc.
Robert’s interesting MacWEEK articles will live on forever in the legends of the
PowerPC.
Richard Hooker, IBM Advisory Engineer
Robert was the most resourceful person I have ever known. He would get things
before Apple would. I only knew him through the computer. He was my sword, I will
sorely miss him. I empathize with family.
Michael Bartell
I still remember our first meeting with Robert. He came in his biker’s outfit
with a helmet. But, what most impressed me was that he was always objective in his
articles. It is such a loss not only for the people who knew him, but also for the
Macintosh development community.
Nobuko Isomata, VP, Marketing & Sales,
Quasar Knowledge Systems, Inc.
Robert was loved by many; his spirit will live on. He will be missed.
Cal Simone, Main Event Software
What was most striking about Robert as a Mac journalist was that he combined a
passion for the platform with an in-depth knowledge of its weaknesses as well as its
strengths, plus an absolute intolerance for B.S.
I’ll never forget the first time I met Robert in person. We had previously
exchanged messages online, and I had noticed that his posts on-line were well-written
and well-informed; so when a reporting job opened up at MacWEEK, I sent him a note
asking if he’d be interested in applying, even though I didn’t know anything about his
background or formal qualifications. That was probably the best personnel move I ever
made.
The interview, however, didn’t go terribly well: Robert obviously knew plenty
about the Mac, but not very much - at that point - about how journalists work. The
climax came when Dan Farber, then Editor-in-Chief of MacWEEK, took a look at
Robert’s résumé, which included his personal motto: “F-k authority.” (At least I
think that’s what it was - at any rate, words to that effect.) “What’s this shit?”
Farber scowled. “I’m the authority around here. F-k him.’ Thus ended Robert’s first
shot at a job at MacWEEK.
I still wanted him on board, though, so when the position of systems
administrator for MacWEEK opened up some months later, I called him to suggest that
he apply. That position didn’t go through Farber, and perhaps Robert had by then
cleaned up his résumé - one way or another, he landed the job.
Once he arrived, his ability and integrity were obvious to everyone. Within a few
months we had him writing stories on the side, in addition to supporting an overgrown
network. Before long it was clear that not making him a full-time reporter would be a
serious waste of talent; the only hesitation: we knew we wouldn’t find anyone who could
do as well as he with our systems.
Henry Norr, Editor Emeritus & Columnist, MacWEEK
Some of our correspondents thought that Robert was best reflected
in his own words; here are their letters, and then we let Robert speak
for himself.
I beta tested Shaman/Sharing Stone/ShowShare/ShareDevil with Robert and
found his announcement and feedback emails to be immensely entertaining as well as
informative. Take your pick of the excerpted ‘goodies’ below!
Kirby Schrader
Some of Robert’s Emails to Beta Testers
This means you cannot run one copy of Shaman and control it with another copy
on the same Mac. Why would you do this? Because you’re a good beta tester and you
know damn good and well some bonehead out there is going to do exactly that someday.
That’s why.
Hey, smell me. I could write Microsoft ads.
Side note: If you’re playing with PowerTalk/AOCE/S7Pro, let me know. I’m
looking for fellow idiots, I mean “adventurers”, to test with.
Man, what’s that stink? Why, it’s Beta 15! Well, I have taken Beta 15 out into
the back yard and shot it. And buried it DEEP. It shall never return to bother us. On the
other hand, there was a wild-eyed cat crawling out of the ground nearby, which I think
is a bad sign.
While you guys are testing this version, I’m going to run Shaman through
Metrowerks. Wooo. Native PowerPC Shaman. Scary. Fatal crashes on multiple
microprocessors! Yippee! And, assuming all goes well, this will give me faster
turn-around. In other words, I’ll be able to take your bug reports, hack away and say,
“Hell if I know what’s wrong,” even faster!
Wow. This is starting to feel good. I’d love to call this a final candidate but, as a
male, I fear commitment.
Although I didn’t know Robert all that well, I have been one of the many lucky
recipients of his newsflash, humor, and rumor emails. One thing I habitually did upon
receiving a piece of mail from him was to immediately scroll down to the bottom of
each piece to see what Robert’s sig-of-the-moment was. There’s definitely no
substitute for Robert Hess.
Crystal Waters, The Net
Some of Robert’s Sigs
• The Net is like the world’s biggest library with everything marked “Misc”.
• I’d trust 40-bit RSA over US Mail any day.
• The Win95 promotion’s budget exceeds the total cost of ‘Waterworld’.
• Win 95: the push-up bra of computing.
• “Pizza! Pizza!” I used to think he was cute but now he’s starting to bug me.
• Despite the name, ‘food stamps’ are not edible.
• First a round of the “Friends” drinking game, followed by the “ER Piss Game”.
• “Have you installed Window 95 yet?” “Yes! Many times!”
• The OJ trial is enough to make me wanna slit somebody’s throat.
• Question: You believe in reincarnation. What do you want to come back as?
Answer: “Matt Dillon’s underwear.”
- Boy George, interviewed by R. Murphy, US magazine, Oct ‘95
• Protect your rights! Use PGP! My key at: http://www.macweek.com
• Microsoft Network is prohibited from redistributing this work in any form, in
whole or in part. Copyright, Robert Hess, 1995. License to distribute this post is
available to Microsoft for US$1M. Posting without permission constitutes an
agreement to these terms.
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