David G. Potter was a computer technician at California State University, Sacramento who was widely known for acerbic, scathingly humorous and knowledgeable postings to Usenet science fiction newsgroups. He assumed the name of Gharlane of Eddore, a character from the Lensman series, as a Usenet pseudonym for Usenet postings and carefully guarded his true identity for many years before his death. He is best known for authoring the Lensman FAQ and voluminous Usenet postings. He died on June 13, 2001 following a heart attack.
Reputation
The Register said "no one will doubt that he was not backward in coming forward, the fact remains that he was a witty, well-read, traveled and caring man. In short, a good human being." David Langford wrote in Ansible that he was a "knowledgeable and opinionated... fan who posted copiously on Usenet as Gharlane of Eddore." He posted as Gharlane from gharlane@nextnet.csus.edu and gharlane@ccshp1.ccs.csus.edu. Up until 1992 he often posted as "potter@csusac.ecs.csus.edu ". Gharlane made his first appearanceSep 25 1992 in a posting to rec.arts.sf.written about the movie Sneakers. On May 7, 1993 he announced his Lensman FAQ in rec.arts.sf.written. His pseudonyms in print publications included E. K. Grant and Gordon F. Shumway. Fantasy authorTom Holt has dedicated two books to him. Alexander at the World's End is dedicated to "Gharlane My Imaginary Friend." Falling Sideways is dedicated "In memory of David Grant Potter --And thanks for all the fish." In 2001, after Gharlane's death, Holt wrote: "A request for information usually produced an immediate and definitive answer. As for his opinions, he fired them like cannon-shells; they were incendiary, capable of piercing the toughest armor, and they scattered their shrapnel right across the group, often starting flames that would flicker on for weeks after the original salvo. A point-blank broadside from the Eddorian was devastating. Return fire seemed to glance harmlessly off him, or else it overshot the mark and sailed harmlessly into the distance. he lives on in the minds he opened, the people who came to fight and stayed to debate, listen and learn. Correspondences that started with anger and outrage from some victim of Eddorian grapeshot mellowed into long, fruitful correspondence. Hundreds of people swapped mails with him, part of a network of friendship that reached right across the world. The centre of that network is silent now, we can no longer draw from it the information, wisdom and joy we've become accustomed to. But Gharlane survives in each member of that network as a perspective, a way of seeing things, an ability to notice things of value that previously were overlooked or not recognised for what they are. We are no longer one, but at least we're many."
