IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Dave Farber has died

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Farber’s lasting impact on the Internet and academia

“Dave moved to Japan to become Distinguished Professor at Keio University and Co‑Director of the Keio Cyber Civilization Research Center (CCRC). He loved teaching, and taught his final class on January 22, 2026.” – cf100clunk
“The IP‑Asia online gathering… has addressed many aspects of the impact of technology on civilization.” – cf100clunk
“Dave’s Interesting People email list was a TRUE highlight of the early Internet.” – ricktdotorg

2. Personal memories and the human side of a legend

“I was trying to get a hold of him for years… never did.” – kristopolous
“Met him without knowing who this person was when proposing a decentralized anti‑virus platform, he cared and helped a lot.” – nunobrito
“I wonder what his life in Tokyo was like! Did he ever write about it?” – jordanscales

3. Reflections on age, longevity, and the future of technology

“Original email mentions ‘too young age of 91’, but IMO that’s a beautiful age to reach.” – Insanity
“Humans have been around for thousands of years… I think it’s entirely plausible that 90 will become the new 60.” – wizzwizz4
“I never knew him, but I’ve been lurking on his IP list since the nineties.” – andyjohnson0

These three themes—his professional legacy, the personal connections he forged, and the broader musings on aging and future tech—dominate the conversation.

🚀 Project Ideas

Internet Heritage Hub

Summary

  • A curated, searchable web archive of early internet history: email lists, meeting recordings, scanned documents, and personal anecdotes.
  • Core value: preserve and democratize access to the legacy of pioneers like Farber for researchers, students, and enthusiasts.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Historians, researchers, students, tech enthusiasts
Core Feature Tag‑based search, community contributions, downloadable assets
Tech Stack Next.js, PostgreSQL, ElasticSearch, AWS S3, Docker
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: institutional subscription

Notes

  • HN commenters lament the loss of the “Interesting People” list and the lack of discussion‑oriented archives.
  • Provides a modern, searchable replacement for the old email list and meeting notes.
  • Sparks discussion by allowing users to add annotations, comment on scans, and propose new archival items.

IP‑Asia Revive

Summary

  • A live‑streaming and community platform that recreates the weekly IP‑Asia gatherings with recording, archiving, and discussion boards.
  • Core value: keep the weekly intellectual exchange alive in a modern, accessible format.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Academics, researchers, tech hobbyists
Core Feature Scheduled video sessions, integrated chat, auto‑archived recordings
Tech Stack React, Node.js, WebRTC, PostgreSQL, Redis
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Commenters mention the final IP‑Asia session and the desire to join future meetings.
  • Enables real‑time Q&A and post‑session discussion threads, filling the gap left by the discontinued email list.
  • Encourages new topics while preserving the legacy format.

Pioneer Mentorship Network

Summary

  • A social network that connects early internet pioneers, their students, and emerging researchers for mentorship, knowledge sharing, and event coordination.
  • Core value: bridge the generational knowledge gap and preserve oral histories.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Pioneers, alumni, graduate students, early‑career researchers
Core Feature Mentor‑mentee matching, discussion forums, event scheduling
Tech Stack Django, React, PostgreSQL, Celery, Docker
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue‑ready: freemium with premium mentorship packages

Notes

  • HN users express frustration about difficulty contacting pioneers like Farber.
  • Provides a structured way to connect, share stories, and mentor the next generation.
  • Generates content for discussion forums and live events, keeping the community vibrant.

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