Matt Deatherage message - more info (answers "why here?!")

[dland@netcom.com (Eric Mueller)]

Sorry folks, I blew it by assuming everyone knew who Matt was; if you
don't, that message probably seems very inappropriate. <g>


"Who is Matt Deatherage?"

Matt Deatherage is a former Apple Computer DTS engineer. He worked at
Apple Computer for six years and during that time had a direct and
important impact on many products, including Quickdraw GX and Laserwriter
8. During his time, his primary responsibility was Developer Technical
Support (as the DTS says); this included trading email with the developers
of practically every major (and many minor) Macintosh application. Matt
was on a first-name basis with hundreds of Macintosh programmers.

He also contributed much of his time back to the community, answering
technical questions here on the Internet and on many of the commercial
services. (He also served as a sysop on GEnie, in the Mac programming
area.) He wrote a bunch of technical articles for _develop_ and was
working on a book about fonts at the time of his arrest. I think Matt is
the only person in the world who truly understands Macintosh font
architecture from the top to the bottom, and knows ALL the little quirks.
:-)


"Why are you posting that info here?"

The information on him is posted in these newsgroups (seven of them, most
Macintosh or Apple II-related) because a vast, vast majority of his
hundreds of friends are Apple II and Macintosh developers.

I truly apologize if you have to read this message more than once. Please
find it in your heart to skip over it the second or third time you see it
instead of sending me flame in email. :)


"Why should I support a child molester/pervert/whatever?"

Read the first two info files on Matt and you'll get the background on the
situation. Grab them yourself from ftp.netcom.com, in pub/dl/dland.


"And just who are you?!"

I'm Eric Mueller, a former Apple II and Macintosh developer who is best
known for HyperStudio (a multimedia program for education) and funny
haircuts way before funny haircuts were cool. <g> I am currently a GEnie
sysop. (Those in the Apple II community may also know me from Roger Wagner
Publishing, KansasFest, or A2-Central.)

I've known Matt for about five years and want him to have a good
Christmas. The file written above was with the support of Matt's sister
and many of Matt's friends at Apple Computer, GEnie and around the 'net.

The original "letter of support" for Matt Deatherage included over 25
signatures from Apple II, Mac and Internet personalities. Lots of folks
know Matt and support him.

 ------

Again, apologies for not making this very clear in the first message. And
if you can find it in your heart to send him a postcard, even if you don't
know him (just write on the back, "hey, I printed with Laserwriter 8
yesterday, thanks!" <g>). It will really make his holiday, which will be
rather bleak otherwise.

Thanks everyone.