The pre-2012 was such a great bunch of folks. I had a chance work the DAZ booth at SIGGRAPH with them one year. Everybody was passionate about 3D. 

I still have the DAZ shirt I was issued to wear. But then, like the article stated, shaazaam, everybody was gone. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Brissart and many of the dev team that had recently left Carrara development at the time. Super, super folks.