Tell HN: John Friel my father, internet pioneer and creator of QModem, has died

I’m very sorry for your loss, and wish him and yourself the best in this next phase.

I only used QModem after it was purchased by Mustang Software but still have great memories! I was actually blown away by ZModem as a protocol when I first used it. How far we've come! This was a really interesting and innovative time period for computing and communications in general.

So sorry for your loss

The Qmodem program, brought home on some random 3.5 inch floppy, allowed me to connect to local BBSes and started my journey into networking computers. Now I have a PhD in CS and I spent more than a decade deeply caring about the Internet, networks, and network research. Without the start given by those BBSes, my path could have been very different! I am very sorry for your loss, and I hope the fact that he made a random teen's life better is some comfort.

Hey Friel Family, I just wanted to reach out and say how sorry I am to hear about John’s passing. I didn’t know him or his work, but it’s clear he made a significant impact on many lives. Losing someone who has touched so many people is never easy. Even though I’m a stranger, I hope you find some comfort in the memories you shared and the love that surrounds you during this tough time. Sending you all my best wishes and support.

My condolences on your loss. I used QModem in the early 90s downloading shareware and the like. I just looked through my floppy disk holder and found a 3 1/2 inch floppy from 1992 with QModem on it :) Your dad’s contribution to the BBS scene was huge and it was an important part of my own journey into computing.

I used QModem in the late 80s, accessing files on local BBSs on my 8086.

QModem and then Telix were a window through which I explored another world as a young teenager with a budget modem with shaky MNP compatibility. In that world I eventually found friends, a wealth of knowledge, and a career. So thanks JF. RIP.

ATH0.

I used QModemPro (after it was bought by Wildcat) and it was the best. It integrated with OLR (offline reader) which meant I could login to the BBS, download my messages via Zmodem as a compressed QWK file, and logoff.

It was so much more efficient than downloading plain text messages. Of course these days we no longer have bandwidth constraints like that but back in the day it enabled long discussions like the sort we’re having on HN today.

Qmodem wasn’t the only terminal emulator but it was the most professional one.

QModem was great software. I remember meeting many new friends from BBS days using that program. My condolences to you and your family.

It was like a doorway on a floppy disk.

Condolences, and thanks John Friel for the QModem memories.

My condolences. May he rest in peace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qmodem

Only today, I told my colleague that the first BBS connection was one of the most extraordinary experiences I've had in my life. Of course, it wasn't possible without QModem software.

Thank you so much to your father for the happiest moments of my childhood!

Accept my condolence for your family in this time of sorrow. The QMODEM program was transformative in my life. Through USR robotics HST modem and QMODEM I was able to access a world far beyond the rural life in which I lived. The generousity of his shareware program probably touched more people than you will know.

I have a very early memory related to QModemPro (too young to remember the original).

Sorry for your loss, and grateful to your dad for his contributions.

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Qmodem was my favorite comm program during the BBS days, and it still is today when working with vintage computers. It was just nice to use. Its scripting language was the first I used and I find myself wishing there was a Linux comm program with scripting that worked that well. Long distance calls were expensive so I used a Qmodem script to call BBSs each morning to download my email before school.

Just the last several months I've been using Qmodem scripting to make thousands of modem calls over VoIP to test downloads to see which models and ATAs work best.

After I jumped back into the vintage BBS world I've been keeping an eye out for anything Qmodem. I recently just picked up a Qmodem manual on ebay that I wanted to scan and archive, because it's pretty rare to see.

Not too long ago I saw where John had posted to a FB group he was working on a new DOS version of Qmodem, my first interaction with him. I was excited to see it be worked on again and hoped to see the new version. Sad to see him go.

The amount of engineers your father directly or indirectly created are innumerable. Myself included.

I would’ve never discovered UNIX or the pre-web internet without software like and including QModem.

I knew him personally. We worked on a few projects together in the late 90s/early 00s. He was a good man and I remember him trying to be a good father to you. I will miss him and his infectious laugh.

My condolences to you and your family.

Condolences on your loss, Aaron & family. Few of us will ever write software with as much impact as QModem, I hope that your father found satisfaction in that reach.

Sorry for your loss. I was an avid Qmodem user back in the day.

Your father's software directly led to a lifetime passion for me. Dialing into a local BBS and being able to reach people around the world was, to me as a kid in the 80s, the single most magical thing imaginable.

I too was one of the Many who used Qmodem back in the day, and still do now on vintage stuff like bwann mentioned.

I had opportunity to work with John on a small consulting thing when I started and ISP back in the mid 90s, and I recall him being an incredibly bright and affable guy.

My deepest condolences to the family.

Qmodem still runs on Linux. I’ve had to use it a few times to talk to serial devices.