How do I even start to describe CMSMQ impact? He was always present, in every part of everything I was interested in. In the deep concepts of semantic markup, in the applications of markup, in the depth of the Classic Humanities, in the fair needs of Business Users.

CMSMQ always made a point of teasing me when I regularly repeated that markup users needed to see immediate gratification associated to any effort put in semantically structuring documents. CMSMQ was the moral authority I used to look at for any idea I thought would be good to our community.

I saw him master the editing of the XML specification during the early days of XML. I saw his innate curiosity for novel semi-structured editing tools. I saw him deeply understanding the strategic value of the Office Open XML formats. I saw him taking a keen early interest in what AI can do to produce semantic markup. I saw him be a force for good, calming the contrary passions of many conflicting voices, channeling this raw energy in additive ways for the benefit of our community.

I never saw an ounce of selfishness.

What a man of immense talent we have lost today. His work and memory will live forever.

Jean Paoli