Stan Flack, a pioneer of online Mac journalism, has died
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Apr 14, 2008 at 1:55pm
The world of Mac journalism has lost one of the great ones. Stan Flack, who founded MacCentral and MacMinute has died. All we know is that, according to his sister Julie, he “passed away due to health complications from his condition.”
Macsimum News will be offering more information as we get it. But I knew Stan for a long time. He was a good friend and he’ll be missed by so many people.
Stan is the guy who got me into Mac journalism. In the early days of MacCentral, I began working for him part-time. As the web site grew (and grew and grew) I was given more and more work. Eventually, the MacCentral gig became a full time job. And I loved it. The rest of the central unit of MacCentral was Dave Moser, Ben Wilson, Jim Dalrymple and Peter Cohen, not to mention several others who did part-time work, columns or was there for a while (including Brad Gibson).
MacMinute was founded by Stan in 2001 to “keep you up-to-date on everything that is going on in the world of Macintosh as soon as it happens.”
Prior to creating MacMinute Stan Flack founded MacCentral. He sold it to Mac Publishing, the company behind the MacWorld properties on June 1, 1999. The web site was eventually folded into the MacWorld brand name and the last vestiges of MacCentral disappeared with the incorporation of the MacCentral Forum into the MacWorld forums in December 2007. However, http://www.maccentral.com leads to http://www.macworld.com.
Things change, time passes and folks move on to other things. Pretty much all of us involved with MacCentral are still Mac lovers and involved in covering Apple. I was a print journalist before I met Stan, but, after that meeting, I was an online journalist. My world was never the same again—and I mean that in the best of ways.
So here’s to Stan Flack, who would have turned 43 this year. And I hope that Macsimum News, in some small way, captures the giddy fun I knew in my early days at MacCentral.
(Details on Stan’s funeral can be found here).
Waleed Alzuhair Says:
My warmest condolences to his family and friends..
Posted on April 14, 2008
Bob LeVitus Says:
Aaaaw… I’m so sorry to hear it. I have known Stan since the earliest days of MacCentral and he was one of the good guys—honest, fair, smart, and always a pleasure to do business with. It has been a while since I talked to him, but the last time I did he was living in Spain… and proved it by showing me the view from his terrace via iChat video.
He will be missed.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Jarod Says:
OMG, this is horrible. Stan was one of the nicest most supportive people I was fortunate enough to get to know. This is a true shocker. I had no idea he was suffering from something. My deepest condolences to all family. This is very very sad. :-(
Posted on April 14, 2008
Johannes Frotscher Says:
Although I did not know him, he certainly changed the computer world by contributing so strongly to the Macintosh community!!
Most sincere condolences to his family.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Dave Merten Says:
What a shock. I recently received an email from him. Although I never met Stan in person, we always kept in touch over the years. He was a great guy.
Here is a 2003 interview with him.
http://www.faq-mac.com/noticias/node/3592
R.I.P Stan.
Posted on April 14, 2008
John R Says:
Sad to read such news. Stan was a really nice guy!
My condolenses to the Flack family.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Ted Landau Says:
My memories of Stan go back to my early days at MacFixIt, which I believe was getting off the ground around the same time that Stan was starting up MacCentral. He was always generous in his support of my site, and I certainly appreciated it. I also recall numerous friendly get-togethers with him at Macworld Expos over the years. I will certainly miss him.
Posted on April 14, 2008
macjac Says:
Good Bye to one of the Great Ones.
You will be sorely missed. Condolences
to his friends and family. Rest In Peace.
(Say “Hi” to GrantG & Passenger for me.)
The Gabbery Gang
Posted on April 14, 2008
KateSorensen/aka Ethel Sorensen in Oregon Says:
I’ll miss Stan but also will remember the early days of MacCentral with such warmth and fondness. You were a really great guy and did so much for us in those days.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Ron McElfresh Says:
After Mac360 was launched we received congratulations from Stan and encouragement along the way. What a tremendous loss to the community.
Posted on April 14, 2008
zwei Says:
RIP Stan ...all the best to his family and friends.
Posted on April 14, 2008
freshyill Says:
Wow, this is a bummer. I spent years at the MacCentral forums. Stan started a great site and a great community. It brings back great geeky memories to see the old regulars like Kate/Ethel remembering him.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Shooshie Says:
Stan changed a lot of lives. MacCentral Forums attracted more people than a circus back in the early days. It was like the Wild West on the new Information Frontier. Freewheeling and fun with few restrictions and lots of opinions, along with the occasional shootout. Stan was our man. I am so sad that he will not be with us for the rest of this journey, but I count blessings for the many years he gave us, and the lives he changed. My condolences to his family. Goodbye, Stan.
Shooshie
Dallas, Texas
Posted on April 14, 2008
Dan Hughes Says:
Although I never got to work directly with him, Stan and I had some great conversations and discussions during the time I was running Webintosh. He had a level of professionalism and insight that was largely lacking in the Mac publishing world back then. I’ll always look back at my conversations with him fondly.
Rest in peace, Stan.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Rob Bednarik Says:
Stan had congenital liver disease, diagnosed only in the last couple months. He had a near death episode a year ago and it has taken that long to come up with the problem. I talked to him a few weeks ago and he explained the problem to me, his close friend in our teens and 20s. If any of you have any personal tributes to share or details of when you may have last spoken to him this weekend (time of death is unknown at the moment) his family would appreciate them. He is survived by his father Bill, mother Elizabeth (Liz), younger siblings Julie and Dennis.
My email address is and I will faithfully pass on any tribute you wish to the appropriate email address when I can obtain it. Obviously the family is in shock and in speaking with Liz this afternoon I did not plan for this at that time.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Tim Robertson Says:
This is really sad news. I have been a casual friend with Stan for years. I will be republishing an interview I did with him from 1999 on our site tomorrow as a memorial to this pioneer. Very, very sad. My best wishes to his family and close friends.
Posted on April 14, 2008
liz claybourne Says:
I will greatly miss stan, He was my very dear friend..We shared alot of great times and laughs over the last few years. It was a huge shock to hear of Stans passing..My children and I will miss him greatly..
Posted on April 14, 2008
Tim Robertson Says:
I reposted a 1999 interview with Stan for those who want to read it. http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=3245
Tim
Posted on April 14, 2008
Misha Says:
Sorry to learn the news this way… take care, Stan, and my condolences to your family.
-Misha (the less public figure behind MacMinute’s first two years on the Web)
Posted on April 14, 2008
chas_m Says:
Such a shocking loss—so young!—to the “veteran” Mac community. Stan was a pioneer, and MacCentral was the first of the really world-class Mac news sites—a lot of other sites (across many platforms and interests) have built on Stan’s model.
Dennis you are so right about the way Stan could change you after one meeting! :)
Sincere condolences to his family and I am glad to see his legacy carrying on in sites like this one and MacMinute.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Kim (Harnish) Lake Says:
I will never forget the great times we had as teenagers hanging out with Liz, Julie, Stan and Dennis. What a great family. My deep, deep sympathy for you all.
I love you Liz, Julie and Dennis - I’m so sorry!
Posted on April 14, 2008
Robert Occhialini Says:
I worked with you guys for a while too, and covered a MacWorld Expo with you. Stan was always nice to me, and gave me a great opportunity.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Bill Briggs Says:
Stan hired me to do the AppleScript Primer column at MacCentral. It was a really fun column to do. We both lived in eastern Canada, but the agreement to do the column was done over the phone. I later met him several times at Macworld expos. He was a great guy. Ethical, honest, and not one to jerk column writers around. What a sad thing he’s gone now, and at such a young age.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Colin Crawford Says:
When I negotiated the acquisition of MacCentral for MacPublishing nearly a decade ago, it was partly because of how impressed I was with Stan’s understanding of the internet - in particular around audience engagement. After he went on to start MacMinute we discussed his vision for the mobile market. It is sad he will not be around to realize his goals. My condolences to all the family, rest in peace my friend.
Posted on April 14, 2008
Chadonna Says:
I didn’t know Stan, but I’m sure I have read something that he’s had some part of. I’m a self-proclaimed Mac geek and am obsessed (partially joking) with all the Mac rumor and news sites. MacMinute and MacCentral/Macworld are some of the sites on the top of my bookmark list.
Like I said, I didn’t know him, but I’m really sad, because I’ve been reading all the touching posts on this site about him and he has so many friends, acquaintances, and fans that loved him. All these posts show what kind of person he was. All my best to Stan’s family. Rest in peace, Stan, and thanks for all the great work you’ve done for the Apple community and family.
Aloha & Mahalo,
Chad M.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Clay Leeds Says:
My condolences to Mac^H^H^H I mean Stan and his family. Your presence was felt and will be missed.
Chad M conveyed a sentiment I share: Aloha & Mahalo…
Web Maestro Clay
Posted on April 15, 2008
Brent Hohlweg Says:
My condolences to Stan and his family. I read MacMinute every day for the past couple years and when I saw the last post of April 11th I was in shock. Please except my most profound thanks for all the efforts and joy Stan and his team brought to my life. I do hope that someone will carry on the Macminute torch in honor of his hard work. Many thanks for having made the world a better place.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Brad Gibson Says:
It is with shock and sadness I hear of Stan’s death. My thoughts are with his family in Canada. Like Misha, I worked with Stan Flack for a number of years at both MacCentral (now macworld.com) and MacMinute. We had our disagreements, but you always knew where he stood. Shortly after joining MacCentral, I got in hot water with an IDG executive (IDG had just bought MacCentral from Stan) over a story I wrote. He defended my reporting 110 percent. He saved my ass to be honest and for that I was and am grateful. Stan, thanks for the memories, my friend.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Gerry Curry Says:
I had been in touch with Stan for several years before I moved to Nova Scotia. He was one of the first people I called on after the move. Since that time he and I had had an irregular communication. It was a visit with Stan at Macworld that first put me in contact with Dennis. Stan was always a “straight up” guy. It is truly wonderful to see all the previous comments. It proves that even in a tough business like this, there’s still room for hart. I’ll really miss him.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Robert Says:
My warmest condolences to his family and friends
Posted on April 15, 2008
Shelley Beck McCutcheon Says:
Shocking news. My sincere condolences to Liz, Julie and Kerry, Dennis and family, and all those affected by this untimely loss. I was not surprised, some years after I left Halifax and our frequent drop-ins at the Flack’s, to hear that Stan had made an impression in the business world. I knew Stan when his amibition was bubbling beneath the surface. We could sense that he had something special. I was so proud to hear that he had found his niche, and was able to give his most special talents to the world. Again, to all those who will feel his loss most sorely, my condolences.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Rob Bednarik Says:
Hello,
The funeral is tentatively set for this Friday. The family can be reached with personal messages via Dennis Flack’s email address at
Please don’t let this take away from what is being left in tribute on this website, its a nice place for them to go as well.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Charles Says:
I was sad to hear that Stan passed away yesterday. He was a tremendous asset to the Mac community and will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family and friends.
Charles
Posted on April 15, 2008
Alf Says:
Stan will always be my friend. He was just there everytime I needed him, helping us converting faq-mac in the web today is. If it not were for him and his always insightful suggestions, we would not have taken off.
We will always owe that to him. And a part of what I’m today is related with how Stan was. He is a model to follow.
Now he will be taking care of us full time.
Posted on April 15, 2008
ArtOfWarfare Says:
But… I thought using a Mac made you immune to viruses and cancer and such. How can a Mac user die?
The Mac cured Steve Job’s cancer!
Seriously though, I’m sorry to hear about it. I just cope with negative news by turning it into jokes. Sorry.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Terry Jarrell Says:
As many have expressed already, so young to be gone and leave a void not only in our Mac community, but friends and family as well.
Our thoughts and best wishes are with Stan’s loved ones and many freinds at this time.
Posted on April 15, 2008
margadagio Says:
My condolences to all of Stan’s family, friends and colleagues.
I didn’t know Stan personally but his creations, MacCentral Forums and MacMinute Forums have had a profound impact on my life. Stan created and fostered the best places in the entire internet for Mac users to get together and discuss all things Mac as well as other issues in our day to day lives. He created a wonderful community.
Thanks for everything, Stan.
Posted on April 15, 2008
Uncle Doug &Aunt Bea Says:
We write with broken hearts to Elizabeth, Julie&Kerry, Dennis & Shirleyand boys. The news of Stan’s passing came as a shock to us. We know you are all feeling the grief and sadness.
May you find comfort in the Lord who alone can heal a broken heart and bring comfort and relief in times like these
Much love to you all,
Uncle Doug & Aunt Bea
The Lord is my shepherd
Posted on April 16, 2008
Elliot Robinson Says:
I did not know Stan personally but I was definitely a fan of his work. Some people are average and simply stay with the status quo. Others are visionaries and actually have the gusto to make big things happen. There is no question in my mind that Stan was one of them. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.
Posted on April 17, 2008
Scott William Says:
Back in late 1996, I started a Mac Support site that would become No Wonder! in 1997. Stan, with his MacCentral website helped promote the site early on, helping pave the way for it’s success and subsequent acquisition in 1999. Last year, one of No Wonder’s great Mac techs, and tech with the (revived No Wonder) Macosx.com for so many years passed away providing support on Macosx.com none-the-less (or so I hear). Anyhow, Stan was nice enough to put up a quick blurb on Bob Wood’s passing. While I didn’t know Stan personally and I don’t believe I ever spoke with him outside of email he definitely goes down in the books as a early pioneering internet Mac user.
MacCentral was never the same without you, and MacMinute won’t be either. To his family and friends, let us know what we can do, if anything, to help you during this time.
Scott William
Macosx.com
Posted on April 17, 2008
Joe Cooper Says:
R.I.P.
You are and always will be a dear friend of mine!
Posted on April 25, 2008
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
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Jason Snell Says:
My mind is going back to that trip to Hawaii back in 1999…
Wishing everyone in Stan’s family the best during a terrible time. And to all who knew Stan, including you, Dennis.
Posted on April 14, 2008