Dennis Ritchie, the creator of the C programming language, passed away on October 8th, prompting discussions about his significant contributions to computer science. Many participants expressed their condolences and shared memories of Ritchie's collaborative work, particularly with Ken Thompson, highlighting their seamless partnership. There were some misconceptions regarding Ritchie's involvement in hacking a backdoor into the compiler, which was clarified as a mix-up with Thompson. The conversation also included reflections on Ritchie's character, with colleagues describing him as one of the nicest people to work with. Participants reminisced about the influence of Ritchie's work, particularly the "K&R" book, and engaged in light-hearted polls about the proximity of their copies of the book. Overall, the thread conveyed a deep respect for Ritchie's legacy in the tech community, contrasting it with the more contentious discussions surrounding other tech figures.