Christopher Barr

1952 - 2017
Chris Barr, digital media pioneer, died in San Francisco on May 21 after a more than yearlong battle with cancer. He was 64.

An early adopter of technology, Barr loved connecting people to tech and to each other. He worked to make the Web a human place that respects privacy and free speech.

Barr was a trailblazing leader of the '90s Web boom. As the founding editor-in-chief of CNET.com, he marked the site's launch in his inaugural column: "Some have said the Internet is the second most important invention ever. I suppose that means the wheel is the first. While the Net is undeniably important, I still believe in maintaining an appropriate perspective. As compelling as the Net is, it doesn't replace family and friends-the essential elements of our lives."

His first career was in the flourishing music industry of 1970s Miami. In 1980s New York, he stepped into his second career, tech journalism. Barr launched what he later called "the most ambitious online effort of its time," PC Magazine's PC MagNet. Two years before Tim Berners-Lee gave the public the World Wide Web, the PC MagNet bulletin board system became one of the biggest, most active online communities.

In 1995 Barr seized the opportunity to join CNET. Under his vision and guidance, CNET.com became a highly respected group of sites for technology news and reviews. The network built an audience of millions and won numerous awards.

Barr was an early fighter for Internet rights and digital-media standards. As co-chair of the Internet Content Coalition, he helped establish standards and ethics for online publishers. He was also a founding member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

A strong advocate for online privacy and free speech, he testified in U.S. district court in 1999, in a suit led by the ACLU against the Child Online Protection Act, which many publishers believed restricted First Amendment rights.

In 2001 Barr co-authored "Lightspeed Business", a guide to investing in startups, with venture capitalist Neil Weintraut.

Barr joined Yahoo as senior editorial director in 2007. Commanding a small group of writers and editors, Barr extended his influence throughout the company's international editorial arms. His team turned search data and online trends into features like the Yahoo Year in Review, shaping the look and feel of Web storytelling for billions of readers.

In 2010 he and his team published "The Yahoo! Style Guide", which Arianna Huffington called "Strunk and White for the online world." He later led Yahoo's intensive coverage of global breaking news and major events, including the World Cup, the Olympics, and the 2012 presidential election.

In both personal and professional life, Barr was known for his warmth, positivity, and gift for seeing the best in others. He was friend and mentor to a multitude.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Margaret Donohue Barr; sons Nicholas, Patrick, and Max; mother Roxanne Rice Barr; six siblings; and two grandchildren.