February 8, 2026
When legends log off
Dave Farber has passed away
Farewell to the Internet’s grandpa: tributes, nostalgia, and a dash of drama
TLDR: Dave Farber, a pioneering internet figure, died at 91 in Tokyo, prompting heartfelt tributes and quick link-drops. Comments mixed nostalgia for his “IP” email list with frustration over access, underscoring his outsized impact on how tech people connect, argue, and remember giants.
The tech world is mourning Dave Farber, often called the “grandfather of the Internet,” who passed away in Tokyo at 91 — and the comments came in hot. Some were pure heart: “RIP. A true computer science legend…” Others went straight for the facts, with one user dropping the Wikipedia link and bouncing, which sparked a little side-eye and a chorus of “share a story, not just a URL.”
Nostalgia quickly turned into debate. One longtime follower sighed that the “IP” email list — Farber’s famed community bulletin — “used to be much more discussion oriented,” reopening an old conversation about how online discourse has shifted from thoughtful threads to quick takes and link dumps. It wasn’t all soft-focus memories either: another commenter vented they’d tried for years to get introduced to Farber and were promised connections that never materialized, turning the memorial into a mini-rant about gatekeeping and missed chances.
Between the heartfelt tributes and the tiny flare-ups, commenters reminded everyone why Farber mattered: from Bell Labs to the FCC (the U.S. communications regulator) and the EFF (a digital civil-liberties nonprofit), his fingerprints are all over modern tech. Keio University colleagues plan an online remembrance, and the community — in classic internet fashion — is honoring him by… debating how to honor him. Classic, and kind of perfect.
Key Points
- •David J. Farber died suddenly on Feb. 7, 2026, at his home in Roppongi, Tokyo, at age 91.
- •Farber’s career included roles at Bell Labs and the Rand Corporation, and he served as Chief Technologist at the U.S. FCC and as an EFF board member.
- •He is widely known as the “grandfather of the Internet,” with foundational contributions through students at UC Irvine, University of Delaware, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon.
- •In 2018, Farber became a Distinguished Professor at Keio University and Co-Director of the Keio Cyber Civilization Research Center; he taught his final class on Jan. 22, 2026.
- •An IP-Asia online remembrance will be held at 2100 JST on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026; further details and a formal obituary are forthcoming.