--- title: "3 Creative work Quotes By Eric S. Raymond" description: "3 Creative work quotes by Eric S. Raymond. Plus more from Eric S. Raymond and more Creative work sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/eric-s-raymond-5007_also_when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy_426005.png" --- > [When are programmers happy? They're happy when they're not underutilized - when they're not bored - and also when they're not overburdened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy-when-they-re-not/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/eric-s-raymond-5007_also_when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy_426005.png) > [“The verdict of history seems to be that free-market capitalism is the globally optimal way to cooperate for economic efficiency; perhaps, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-verdict-of-history-seems-to-be-that-free-market-capitalism-is-the/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/eric-s-raymond-5007_capitalism_the-verdict-of-history-seems-to-be-that_642180.png) > [“It may well turn out that one of the most important effects of open source’s success will be to teach us that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/it-may-well-turn-out-that-one-of-the-most-important-effects-of-open/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/eric-s-raymond-5007_creative-work_it-may-well-turn-out-that-one-of-the-mos_985356.jpg) ## Other authors on Creative work - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-61867.jpg) Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b015/author-lawrence-lessig-59097.jpg) Lawrence Lessig 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/lawrence-lessig/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b012/author-ira-glass-44501.jpg) Ira Glass 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/ira-glass/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-ayn-rand-15943.jpg) Ayn Rand 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/ayn-rand/) ## More by Eric S. Raymond > [The Wesnoth devs are good but not exceptionally so, and we're weighed down by a crappy implementation language (C++). Nevertheless our productivity, in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-wesnoth-devs-are-good-but-not-exceptionally-so-and-we-re-weighed/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“We’re proving not only that we can do better software, but that joy is an asset.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/we-re-proving-not-only-that-we-can-do-better-software-but-that-joy-is/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [The workstation-class machines built by Sun and others opened up new worlds for hackers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-workstation-class-machines-built-by-sun-and-others-opened-up-new/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [It is widely grokked that cats have the hacker nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/it-is-widely-grokked-that-cats-have-the-hacker-nature/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“If (as is generally accepted) over 75% of a typical software project’s life-cycle costs will be in maintenance and debugging and extensions, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/if-as-is-generally-accepted-over-75-of-a-typical-software-project-s/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [The combination of threads, remote-procedure-call interfaces, and heavyweight object-oriented design is especially dangerous... if you are ever invited onto a project that is supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-combination-of-threads-remote-procedure-call-interfaces-and/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/lisp-is-worth-learning-for-the-profound-enlightenment-experience-you/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [You cannot motivate the best people with money. Money is just a way to keep score. The best people in any field are motivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/you-cannot-motivate-the-best-people-with-money-money-is-just-a-way-to/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“The Linux world behaves in many respects like a free market or an ecology, a collection of selfish agents attempting to maximize utility which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-linux-world-behaves-in-many-respects-like-a-free-market-or-an/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“The reason this is a serious issue is that both the pool of users and the pool of talent available to be recruited into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-reason-this-is-a-serious-issue-is-that-both-the-pool-of-users-and/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [A security system is only as secure as its secret. Beware of pseudo-secrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/a-security-system-is-only-as-secure-as-its-secret-beware-of-pseudo/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [Today I am one of the senior technical cadre that makes the Internet work, and a core Linux and open-source developer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/today-i-am-one-of-the-senior-technical-cadre-that-makes-the-internet/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“The behavior of retailers when a vendor folds is very revealing. It tells us that they know something the vendors don’t. What they know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-behavior-of-retailers-when-a-vendor-folds-is-very-revealing-it/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [The easiest programs to use are those which demand the least new learning from the user](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-easiest-programs-to-use-are-those-which-demand-the-least-new/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [“This is quite unlikely to happen to Linux,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/this-is-quite-unlikely-to-happen-to-linux/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/#itemlist", "name": "3 Creative work Quotes By Eric S. Raymond", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When are programmers happy? They're happy when they're not underutilized - when they're not bored - and also when they're not overburdened with inappropriate specifications or meaningless bureaucracies. In other words, programmers are happiest when they're working efficiently. This is a general preference in creative work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric S. Raymond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy-when-they-re-not/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/eric-s-raymond-5007_also_when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy_426005.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/eric-s-raymond-5007_also_when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy_426005.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/eric-s-raymond-5007_also_when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy_426005.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When are programmers happy? They're happy when they're not underutilized - when they're not bored - and also…” — Eric S. Raymond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The verdict of history seems to be that free-market capitalism is the globally optimal way to cooperate for economic efficiency; perhaps, in a similar way, the reputation-game gift culture is the globally optimal way to cooperate for generating (and checking!) high-quality creative work.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric S. Raymond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-verdict-of-history-seems-to-be-that-free-market-capitalism-is-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/eric-s-raymond-5007_capitalism_the-verdict-of-history-seems-to-be-that_642180.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/eric-s-raymond-5007_capitalism_the-verdict-of-history-seems-to-be-that_642180.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/eric-s-raymond-5007_capitalism_the-verdict-of-history-seems-to-be-that_642180.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The verdict of history seems to be that free-market capitalism is the globally optimal way to cooperate for…” — Eric S. Raymond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It may well turn out that one of the most important effects of open source’s success will be to teach us that play is the most economically efficient mode of creative work.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric S. Raymond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/it-may-well-turn-out-that-one-of-the-most-important-effects-of-open/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/eric-s-raymond-5007_creative-work_it-may-well-turn-out-that-one-of-the-mos_985356.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/eric-s-raymond-5007_creative-work_it-may-well-turn-out-that-one-of-the-mos_985356.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/eric-s-raymond-5007_creative-work_it-may-well-turn-out-that-one-of-the-mos_985356.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It may well turn out that one of the most important effects of open source’s success will be to teach us…” — Eric S. Raymond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/", "name": "Creative work Quotes by Eric S. Raymond", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/eric-s-raymond-5007_also_when-are-programmers-happy-they-re-happy_426005.png" }, "description": "3 Creative work quotes by Eric S. Raymond. Plus more from Eric S. Raymond and more Creative work sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Creative Work", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Eric S. Raymond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/eric-s-raymond/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```