This was written by Shane on behalf of the team:
“If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton
This famous quote pretty much sums up the beauty of the open source tech world. Beginning with the first lines of code that were freely given to the whole world to use and share, to learn from and to teach. Around this code grew a community from all walks of life, from countless backgrounds and beliefs; all with one thing in common – the sharing of knowledge. The community breathes life into the code, propelling itself to reach ever greater heights standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before them.
We here at Linux Mint, in our own little corner of the Internet, have grown into our own community; helping and sharing, teaching and learning. But among us, Mats stood head and shoulders above the rest – keeping us together, diffusing disputes, listening to grievances, teaching the newcomers, looking after the stranded and cheering on the team. His dedication was selfless and complete as he nurtured an entire community which grew to be the 2nd most popular Linux distribution.
He is a true giant. The ever gentle, calm and encouraging giant who carried our community to reach for the sky. He embodies the spirit of the philosophy of sharing. We at Linux Mint will forever be indebted for his contribution. In our loss we can only be grateful to have known him in however small a way. We can only hope to carry this heavy torch he has passed on to us.
To the Geier family, we cannot imagine your grief. Our surety in the genuine goodness of Mats’ heart is unwavering. Our heartfelt condolences go out to you. Thank you for letting Mats be part of our community. We mourn your loss.
To the rest of us, let Mats be an example of what we should be to the community. Let us help those in trouble, teach those who want to learn, nurture healthy conversation and commend the good. Even to the end, his last post, Mats is the perfect example.
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Mats Geier aka Husse, we will miss you dearly. But more importantly, we celebrate your being one of us; for being the giant we stand on.
Rest in peace Mats.
