It didn't matter who you were when you asked Cary a question. I guess I was aware that a Cary Lu wrote for a Mac mag but was not sure that he was the same nice guy I talked to on the phone when looking for a receiver for my wife's stereo system.
I was shopping the Classified Ads on the BBS at the Seattle user group dBUG, I was new to the virtual shopping scene and unsure of the quality of stuff available. I needed a receiver that could also accept a sound input from our computer. Cary had one for sale but when I inquired and he found out what we needed, he sold us just what was needed........for less money than the unit initially advertised. A spec sheet for the receiver was also included.
The issue of quality was quickly settled when I got it home and took the top off to make it fit in the stereo stack. Cary had previously modified the receiver to accommodate an additional input and the internal wiring was all routed efficiently and bundles neatly tied at appropriate spacing.
I lived in the same general area as his home and when we could not meet conveniently, he gave me his address and told me where he would leave the receiver behind his house. As it turned out, he came home while I was there to pick up the receiver and we chatted a while before I left. Little did I know how many irons he had in the fire. Most folks with his knowledge and activities would not take much time with a complete stranger.
I didn't hesitate when needing a second hard drive for my Mac and Cary had one advertised. I went to pick it up and was privileged to see his basement office with the famous concrete wall between the drive equipment and his work station. He demanded absolute silence.
In my relative ignorance of computer things, I had answered his ad for a
We are lucky at dBUG to have a lot of selfless helpers but Cary was unique and special in, not only the technical accuracy of his help, but the manner in which he offered it. The technical community will miss his considerable contributions and openness. I know I do.