--- title: "Best Eric S. Raymond Sayings" description: "Eric S. Raymond is an American software developer and open‑source advocate who wrote the essay and book The Cathedral and the Bazaar." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-eric-s-raymond-5007.jpg" --- ![Portrait of Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-eric-s-raymond-5007.jpg) # Eric S. Raymond (1957) Programmer United States **104** quotes in **528** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet Eric S. Raymond is a programmer from the United States, best known for *The New Hacker's Dictionary*. ## Quick Facts About Eric S. Raymond Born December 4, 1957 Nationality United States Profession Programmer Notable works The New Hacker's Dictionary Known for The Cathedral and the Bazaar ## About Eric S. Raymond He is often called ESR. In the 1990s he edited and updated the Jargon File, which was published as The New Hacker’s Dictionary, and he also wrote a guidebook for the roguelike game NetHack. ## Quotes by Eric S. Raymond · Page 3 > [The beginnings of the hacker culture as we know it today can be conveniently dated to 1961, the year MIT acquired the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-beginnings-of-the-hacker-culture-as-we-know-it-today-can-be/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/eric-s-raymond-5007_culture_the-beginnings-of-the-hacker-culture-as_1552583.png) > [When you lose interest in a program, your last duty to it is to hand it off to a competent successor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/when-you-lose-interest-in-a-program-your-last-duty-to-it-is-to-hand/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a3/eric-s-raymond-5007_competent_when-you-lose-interest-in-a-program-your_725629.png) > [You cannot motivate the best people with money. Money is just a way to keep score. The best people in any field…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9d/eric-s-raymond-5007_fields_you-cannot-motivate-the-best-people-with_229269.png) > [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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95e/eric-s-raymond-5007_built_the-workstation-class-machines-built-by_103531.png) > [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/) [Cadre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cadre/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/eric-s-raymond-5007_cadre_today-i-am-one-of-the-senior-technical-c_334533.jpg) > [The next best thing to having good ideas is recognizing good ideas from your users. Sometimes the latter is better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-next-best-thing-to-having-good-ideas-is-recognizing-good-ideas/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Best things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b30/eric-s-raymond-5007_best-things_the-next-best-thing-to-having-good-ideas_2633457.png) > [The iPhone brand is in worse shape than I thought was even possible. And the implications of that are huge... The iPhone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-iphone-brand-is-in-worse-shape-than-i-thought-was-even-possible/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/eric-s-raymond-5007_brands_the-iphone-brand-is-in-worse-shape-than_2117171.png) > [Does Facebook behave like a tool in my hand, or a firehose designed to spew at me in accordance with other peoples'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/does-facebook-behave-like-a-tool-in-my-hand-or-a-firehose-designed-to/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/eric-s-raymond-5007_accordance_does-facebook-behave-like-a-tool-in-my-h_2867318.png) > [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…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/eric-s-raymond-5007_appropriate_the-combination-of-threads-remote-proced_131275.png) > [In the U.S., blacks are 12% of the population but commit 50% of violent crimes; can anyone honestly think this is unconnected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/in-the-u-s-blacks-are-12-of-the-population-but-commit-50-of-violent/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/eric-s-raymond-5007_average_in-the-u-s-blacks-are-12-of-the-populati_1008342.png) > [Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you…](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/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/eric-s-raymond-5007_enlightenment_lisp-is-worth-learning-for-the-profound_150731.jpg) > [“For purposes of examining the software market itself, it will be helpful to sort kinds of software by how completely the service…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/for-purposes-of-examining-the-software-market-itself-it-will-be/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/eric-s-raymond-5007_investing_for-purposes-of-examining-the-software-m_3122626.jpg) > [On first blush this looks to be about money, but it is about power. Is power going to go to the information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/on-first-blush-this-looks-to-be-about-money-but-it-is-about-power-is/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Developers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developers/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/eric-s-raymond-5007_developers_on-first-blush-this-looks-to-be-about-mo_1457731.png) > [“There is a critical difference (Ryan observes) between saying, “I’m giving you this reward because I recognize the value of your work”,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/there-is-a-critical-difference-ryan-observes-between-saying-i-m/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/eric-s-raymond-5007_reward_there-is-a-critical-difference-ryan-obse_955680.jpg) > [“The free market, in its widest libertarian sense including all un-coerced activity whether trade or gift, can produce perpetually increasing software wealth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-free-market-in-its-widest-libertarian-sense-including-all-un/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Free market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-market/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/eric-s-raymond-5007_free-market_the-free-market-in-its-widest-libertaria_1917880.png) > [If Unix could present the same face, the same capabilities, on machines of many different types, it could serve as a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/if-unix-could-present-the-same-face-the-same-capabilities-on-machines/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/eric-s-raymond-5007_capability_if-unix-could-present-the-same-face-the_1494678.png) > [Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow (e.g., given a large enough beta-tester and co-developer base, almost every problem will be characterized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/given-enough-eyeballs-all-bugs-are-shallow-e-g-given-a-large-enough/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/eric-s-raymond-5007_beta_given-enough-eyeballs-all-bugs-are-shall_2188839.png) > [People are happiest when they're the most productive. People enjoy tasks, especially creative tasks, when the tasks are in the optimal-challenge zone:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/people-are-happiest-when-they-re-the-most-productive-people-enjoy/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/eric-s-raymond-5007_about_people-are-happiest-when-they-re-the-mos_642951.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/) [Creative work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) [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) > [Of course, C proved indispensible to the developers of all its alternatives. Dig down through enough implementation layers under any of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/of-course-c-proved-indispensible-to-the-developers-of-all-its/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/eric-s-raymond-5007_alternatives_of-course-c-proved-indispensible-to-the_1505715.jpg) > [A software system is transparent when you can look at it and immediately see what is going on. It is simple when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/a-software-system-is-transparent-when-you-can-look-at-it-and/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/eric-s-raymond-5007_brain_a-software-system-is-transparent-when-yo_1359885.jpg) > [The Wesnoth devs are good but not exceptionally so, and we're weighed down by a crappy implementation language (C++). Nevertheless our productivity,…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/158/eric-s-raymond-5007_implementation_the-wesnoth-devs-are-good-but-not-except_17573.png) > [The only way to write complex software that won't fall on its face is to hold its global complexity down - to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-only-way-to-write-complex-software-that-won-t-fall-on-its-face-is/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/eric-s-raymond-5007_complexes_the-only-way-to-write-complex-software-t_3107451.jpg) > [In early 1993, a hostile observer might have had grounds for thinking that the Unix story was almost played out, and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/in-early-1993-a-hostile-observer-might-have-had-grounds-for-thinking/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/eric-s-raymond-5007_cybersecurity_in-early-1993-a-hostile-observer-might-h_2473292.png) ## Eric S. Raymond by topic [Programming (45)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/eric-s-raymond/) [Technology (35)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/eric-s-raymond/) [Cybersecurity (13)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/eric-s-raymond/) [Inspirational (12)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/eric-s-raymond/) [Open source (11)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-source/eric-s-raymond/) [Hackers (10)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hackers/eric-s-raymond/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/#itemlist", "name": "Eric S. Raymond Quotes", "numberOfItems": 24, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The beginnings of the hacker culture as we know it today can be conveniently dated to 1961, the year MIT acquired the first PDP-1.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric S. 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Raymond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/the-iphone-brand-is-in-worse-shape-than-i-thought-was-even-possible/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/eric-s-raymond-5007_brands_the-iphone-brand-is-in-worse-shape-than_2117171.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/eric-s-raymond-5007_brands_the-iphone-brand-is-in-worse-shape-than_2117171.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed3/eric-s-raymond-5007_brands_the-iphone-brand-is-in-worse-shape-than_2117171.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The iPhone brand is in worse shape than I thought was even possible. And the implications of that are…” — Eric S. Raymond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Does Facebook behave like a tool in my hand, or a firehose designed to spew at me in accordance with other peoples' agendas? Concretely: can I write my own client to present a filtered view of the Facebook stream, or have other people do that for me?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric S. Raymond" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/does-facebook-behave-like-a-tool-in-my-hand-or-a-firehose-designed-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/eric-s-raymond-5007_accordance_does-facebook-behave-like-a-tool-in-my-h_2867318.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/eric-s-raymond-5007_accordance_does-facebook-behave-like-a-tool-in-my-h_2867318.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/eric-s-raymond-5007_accordance_does-facebook-behave-like-a-tool-in-my-h_2867318.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Does Facebook behave like a tool in my hand, or a firehose designed to spew at me in accordance with other…” — Eric S. Raymond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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 to feature all three, fleeing in terror might well be an appropriate reaction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric S. 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