Jim Bound - Rest In Peace

Paw Prints: Writings of the maddog
I first met Jim Bound when I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation in their Unix operating system group. Jim was "in the field" as a pre-and-post sales technical support person. When a salesman needed some good technical help in selling a customer a technical solution, or when a customer needed someone who really knew what they were doing, they would call on these technical people to help them.
Over the years, our Unix group formulated a program called the "Unix Partners Program", and we invited some of these technical field people to consult with us once a quarter as a group, so that we could better understand the customer's needs. At first the group was small, with some of the more vocal and knowledgeable people actively sought out. Jim was one of the first, and continued to be a leader throughout my time at Digital.
Jim had a specialty in networking, this "new" thing called TCP/IP, and as this new networking grew in dominance, Jim would pound his fist on the table and tell us how important it was. You never had to guess where you stood with Jim, as he would tell you. Of course I liked him immensely, and there were many times we could get together with the other Unix technical people and have a beer together.
Jim was tattooed. Jim rode motorcycles. Of course today no one would think anything of this, but nearly a quarter century ago, in a rather conservative east-coast United States company, this was a bit unusual particularly for someone in a very visible customer-facing position. But Jim also knew his stuff, and that overcame any objections.
Later on, Jim started talking about this extension of IPv4, at first called "IPng" for "IP next generation" that eventually became "IPv6". He talked about the huge address space, the better security, the better features. Eventually to many people he became "Mr. IPv6", a tireless advocate for the newer protocol, a solid believer in standards. He came in from the field and joined central engineering at Digital which then became Compaq and finally Hewlett Packard.
After I left Digital (then Compaq) in 1999 I lost track of Jim. I would hear about him every once in a while, tracking him as he became the CTO of the IPv6 Forum, Chair of the North American IPv6 Task Force and a Senior Fellow with Hewlett Packard, the highest level on the HP technical career path. In my mind I could hear him leading the charge for IPv6, and probably fairly frustrated that IPv4 had not been completely retired by now.
Today I learned that Jim had died on March 2nd, 2009. He was only 58.
A short time ago I wrote in this column that I was still IPv4 bound, and that I wanted to become IPv4 clean by the end of 2009. Now I have two reasons, one because I think that it is the right path forward for the things I need to do, and the other reason is that I want to be able to tell Jim "I made it to IPv6" the next time we meet....
Regards,
maddog
P.S. As a postscript, I received a note from a friend of Jim's that said:
For those wishing to send their expressions of sympathy we have setup at the IPv6 Forum http://www.ipv6forum.com/ a way for everyone to pay their respect. We will then collect all the postings and share it with Jim's extended family.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
Family Friend
Jim P Bound
Jim Bound
While at DEC, and subsequently Compaq and HP, Jim progressively made internationally recognized contributions to open, and next generation networking standards. Jim's passion for his body of work will benefit us for generations to come. International friends and colleagues are preparing fitting tributes at the IPV6forum, Internet Society, and other sites as well.
This is a private man intensely loyal to his friends, who on occasion as guests in his home can testify, prepared five-star meals with intellectually stimulating conversation.
I will miss Jim as we were each others white board for issues, ideas, and humor over the years. Maddog, we go back aways too, and your recognition for Jim is appreciated.
/chuck
ckhowe@mac.com
.
Well
In the middle of the masses of all these "generic" IT People we have these days, it is important to mention those who not only have the guts but the skills to stand out. There are few enough...
To me, Jim Bound sounds like a Person I would've loved to meet and know, both on a personal and on a professional basis.
Cheers
Mywill