R.I.P., Dude
Monday February 11, 2008
It is a testament to the times and the power of the Internet that to the thousands who knew him, he was known simply as Dude VanWinkle. His real name was Justin Polazzo, a 31-year-old security engineer employed by the Georgia Institute of Technology. Signing his messages with a simple -JP and <often humorous tagline>, Dude VanWinkle was a frequent contributor to various security groups in the industry. On lists too often filled with immature ramblings and self-aggrandizing posts, Dude stood out for his helpfulness, intelligence, and sometimes brutal honesty.
Never one to shy from controversy, Dude frequently weighed in on a variety of heated topics. His last posts, ending on 1/31/08, lambasted antivirus vendor Trend Micro for continuing to force an antivirus gateway scanning patent that many - including myself - believe should never have been awarded and has served not to advance protection but rather to cripple it. Commenting on the controversy, his nemesis - and polar opposite - n3td3v noted, "get your ring side seats, only VanWinkle will survive".
Sadly, VanWinkle did not survive. On February 4, 2008, Justin Marcus Polazzo was found dead in his home. May he rest in peace.
Why would you mention n3td3v? He is a waste of life, and doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same paragraph as Dude.
Thanks for your kind words about my son, Justin (aka Dudevanwinkle).
Justin had finally found himself and a wonderful community with folks like you.
As I dropped him off at GA Tech after a lunch of sushi (his favorite) I could see he was happy. He felt loved. He had a spring in his step. . .
Hold him in the Light.