In memoriam: Chris Lightfoot, the bloggers blogger

[matgb]

If you've been around here for a bit, you've seen me mention chrislightfoot a few times. If you've missed it, I'd posit a guess that if you're British, you've been to a site he helped build, possibly without even knowing it. It was announced today on his weblog that he passed away last month. This was followed up by tributes from his two main employers, Tom Steinberg of MySociety and Phil Booth of No2ID.net. If your friends list or feed aggregator has as much overlap with mine as is likely, you've seen many links and tributes already. Here's another.

So, how do I know you've been to a site he built? Easy. How about the Downing Street petitions website (credit)? If you haven't been there, even to simply trawl around, or look at the news story du jure, then you've missed a trick. What about WriteToThem.com , the site that allows you to contact your elected representatives for free online, after a simple postcode search? It's how I first contacted Adrian, and I was very impressed. HearFromYourMP.com has been less of a success, but is still a damn fine idea. PledgeBank? Simply awesome, one of my favourite ideas for a site, and I'm signed up to a few and a couple ongoing relevent pledges, Refuse being the one that first got my attention. And then there's Downing Street Says (number10says), breaking the lobby correspondent secrecy wide open.

But not only was he am innovative and engaged site builder, without whom many of the more innovative online democracy projects may not have been possible, but he was also a top blogger, with a fine analytical streak. Here's a series of articles debunking the loons at the Association of British Drivers. Those links were via Tim at bloggerheads, and he has many more in a fitting tribute.

As for memes? Political Survey 2005 was one of the better at the last election (mine from then and one I just did); looks like I've moved half a point into the centre, not that that makes a difference really. As for why he was a blogger's blogger? He paid attention to referrals and commented on my post taking issue with his axes labelling; nice to know we were both right, for different reasons.

Normally, I cut a post of this length. Not this one. I'm a humanist, I don't believe in an afterlife, I believe that all that matters is your legacy, what you've left behind you, what you've achieved, how you'll be remembered. In Chris's case, he did more in 28 years than I'm likely to achieve in my life. He'll be missed. If the comments on the memorial post on his blog read like a who's who of British blogging, the tributes below the cut are indicative of his influence.

Chicken Yoghurt » Chris Lightfoot

The Virtual Stoa » Blog Archive » In Memoriam

Crooked Timber » » Chris Lightfoot is dead

The Devil's Kitchen: Chris Lightfoot is dead

Quaequam Blog! » Blog Archive » Chris Lightfoot 1978-2007

Nosemonkey / Europhobia » Blog Archive » Chris Lightfoot

RIP Chris Lightfoot | Backword: Dave Weeden’s weblog

Tom Watson MP » Blog Archive » Chris Lightfoot

Google Blog Search: "chris lightfoot"

Comments

[misty-moonlight.livejournal.com]

Wow - I saw th thing on Bloggerheads, but didn't know who they were talking about. I guess that he was a success in his life if that many people admired him. Rest well.

[matgb]

That was partially why I wrote the whole piece; so many tribute posts, all of which assumed you'd know who he was, but he seemed at times publicity averse, so I figured worth putting up some of his better stuff.

[srk1.livejournal.com]

I shall remember him by the updated plot of Anne Campbell's parliamentary majority.

[matgb]

That is a rather nice graph. I noticed he'd gone quiet on the lack of linklog postings, which was always a good source of info, but didn't even suspect there could be something wrong. And getting tributes from all over the place, including both DK and Tom Watson (polar opposites if ever there were any) is testament enough methinks.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

O_o

That's no age at all, is it?

[matgb]

No, not at all. Before now, only people I knew that had died of natural(ish) causes were older than me. One (former boss) had a heart attack at 34 but is still going. This is the first I've known someone that young go.

No cause of death has been listed, but still, not good at all.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Well, I know (of) somebody younger than me who died of flu (which scared the crap out of me), but apart from that, yeah, similar.

Tis certainly a reinforcement that there's no time to waste.

Your death looks like he's picking his nose

[matgb]

'twas the best picture I could get out of the publicity stills; been using it as part of my banner as well, probably time for a change though.

The not wanting to waste too much time was part of my reason for moving up here; in Devon, nothing ever really happens, at least in a proper city you can get involved in stuff.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, it's not that nothing ever happens around here so much that I'm not involved in it when it does.

They make Ambrosia creamed rice in Devon! That's SOMETHING that happens... ;)