Great suggestion. I'd bet that many people, even if they know what the bar signifies, look around the front page to try to figure out who but unless it's a massively upvoted post and/or very prominent name aren't quite sure whose passing is being noted. There have also been cases of more than one person on a single day. Perhaps a link to their wikipedia page(s) or bio(s)?
The black bar is a mark of mourning and respect for someone in the technology community who has recently died. In this case, Lorinda Cherry, who did much work on early Unix at AT&T Bell Labs.
The tradition appears to date from 2009 based on HN archives:
"The announcement of his death was carried in the local paper of Montreuil-sur-mer. M. Madeleine appeared next morning dressed in black and with a black band on his hat.
This mourning was noticed all over the town, and there was talk. It appeared to throw some light on M. Madeleine's origins. The conclusion was that he was in some way related to the venerable bishop. 'He's wearing black for the Bishop of Digne,' was the talk of the drawing rooms; it elevated M. Madeleine very much and gave him suddenly marked consideration in the noblest circles of Montreuil-sur-mer. The microscopic Faubourg Saint-Germain of the little place considered lifting the quarantine on M. Madeleine, the probable relative of a bishop. M. Madeleine perceived the advance he had obtained, in increasing nods from old ladies and more frequent smiles of young ladies. One evening, one of the dowagers of that little social world, curious by right of age, ventured to ask him, 'The mayor is undoubtedly a relative of the late Bishop of Digne?'
He said, 'No, madame.'
'But,' the dowager persisted, 'you wear mourning for him?'
He answered, 'In my youth I was a servant in his family.' "
Victor, Hugo, Les Misérables, Vol. 1, Book 5, Chapter 4
I think myself old, until the real grey men of HN answer, and then I'm young, and I have no idea who the people they talk of are. I, too, noticed the black band and had no idea who it was for. It would be good for me, and perhaps the HN community, if the black bands were accompanied by a description of the person who commanded the tribute, or their name at the least.
I use 'bc' at least once a week, I had no idea 'dc' existed.
22 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 72.3 ms ] threadusually someone of note to the tech/HN community
Agree. Why not have it point to the pertinent HN submission.
https://ncwit.org/profile/lorinda-cherry/
The tradition appears to date from 2009 based on HN archives:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=644954#644981
dang on the concept: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26867411
This mourning was noticed all over the town, and there was talk. It appeared to throw some light on M. Madeleine's origins. The conclusion was that he was in some way related to the venerable bishop. 'He's wearing black for the Bishop of Digne,' was the talk of the drawing rooms; it elevated M. Madeleine very much and gave him suddenly marked consideration in the noblest circles of Montreuil-sur-mer. The microscopic Faubourg Saint-Germain of the little place considered lifting the quarantine on M. Madeleine, the probable relative of a bishop. M. Madeleine perceived the advance he had obtained, in increasing nods from old ladies and more frequent smiles of young ladies. One evening, one of the dowagers of that little social world, curious by right of age, ventured to ask him, 'The mayor is undoubtedly a relative of the late Bishop of Digne?'
He said, 'No, madame.'
'But,' the dowager persisted, 'you wear mourning for him?'
He answered, 'In my youth I was a servant in his family.' "
Victor, Hugo, Les Misérables, Vol. 1, Book 5, Chapter 4
I think myself old, until the real grey men of HN answer, and then I'm young, and I have no idea who the people they talk of are. I, too, noticed the black band and had no idea who it was for. It would be good for me, and perhaps the HN community, if the black bands were accompanied by a description of the person who commanded the tribute, or their name at the least.
I use 'bc' at least once a week, I had no idea 'dc' existed.
> Cherry raced rally cars as a hobby.
Respect!