Om
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
John Gruber pays tribute to his friend Om Malik, who died after a battle with heart disease.
Om Malik died two days ago after a long battle with heart issues. He and Gruber were friends for 20 years, often sitting together at Apple keynotes. Malik transitioned from a prolific new-media journalist and founder of GigaOm to a venture partner at True Ventures in 2014, then became a thoughtful essayist. He was known for his generosity, kindness, and keen critical eye. Malik continued to write incisive analysis from an ICU bed at Stanford, where he needed a heart transplant. He loved the Yankees, good coffee, and photography. Gruber shares personal anecdotes and reflects on Malik's profound impact.
What commenters are saying
Commenters universally express sorrow at Malik's death and praise Gruber's tribute as beautifully written. Many recall his pioneering work in tech journalism, including the GigaOm Show on Revision3. One user shares a Kabir couplet about living so the world weeps at your departure. Another notes liking Gruber's writing about how Om 'wasn't busy dying even when he was dying.' A commenter mentions finding Om's recent essay 'The Copy and the Guru' insightful, not knowing it was written from the ICU.