--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On first blush this looks to be about…" description: "\"On first blush this looks to be about money, but it is about power. Is power going to go to the information monopolies, or will it go to developers and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/eric-s-raymond-5007_developers_on-first-blush-this-looks-to-be-about-mo_1457731.png" --- # On first blush this looks to be about money, but it is… ![“On first blush this looks to be about money, but it is about power. Is power going to go to the information monopolies, or will it go to developers and users?.” quote by Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/eric-s-raymond-5007_developers_on-first-blush-this-looks-to-be-about-mo_1457731.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/eric-s-raymond-5007_developers_on-first-blush-this-looks-to-be-about-mo_1457731.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/eric-s-raymond-5007_developers_on-first-blush-this-looks-to-be-about-mo_1457731.png) > “On first blush this looks to be about money, but it is about power. Is power going to go to the information monopolies, or will it go to developers and users?.” [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement suggests that the real issue isn’t money but who controls information—whether monopolies or developers/users hold power. **In simple terms:** Power over information matters more than money. Key Takeaway Support open, decentralized platforms. Themes technology power information control Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - software development - policy making - digital rights activism Key Concepts centralization open source economics Questions to Reflect On - Who should decide how data is used? - What safeguards protect users from power abuse? A Different Perspective Open systems can still be dominated by hidden elites. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Developers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developers/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Monopolies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopolies/) [Monopoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopoly/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Is Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-is-power/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) ## Related quotes > [Software patents are dangerous to software developers because they impose monopolies on software ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/software-patents-are-dangerous-to-software-developers-because-they/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [A critical factor in its success was that the X developers were willing to give the sources away for free in accordance with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/a-critical-factor-in-its-success-was-that-the-x-developers-were/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [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 quickly and…](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/) > [Every good work of software starts by scratching a developers personal itch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/every-good-work-of-software-starts-by-scratching-a-developers/) [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/) > [Of course, C proved indispensible to the developers of all its alternatives. Dig down through enough implementation layers under any of the other languages…](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/) > [Treating your users as co-developers is your least-hassle route to rapid code improvement and effective debugging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/treating-your-users-as-co-developers-is-your-least-hassle-route-to/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [The reputation of power IS power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-reputation-of-power-is-power/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Most power is power to coerce somebody. We don't have the power to coerce anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/most-power-is-power-to-coerce-somebody-we-don-t-have-the-power-to/) [Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/) > [The object of power is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-object-of-power-is-power/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/now-i-will-tell-you-the-answer-to-my-question-it-is-this-the-party/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/one-does-not-establish-a-dictatorship-in-order-to-safeguard-a-2/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [When all comes to all, the most precious element in life is wonder. Love is a great emotion, and power is power. But both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/when-all-comes-to-all-the-most-precious-element-in-life-is-wonder/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [The power is neutral. It cannot be divided into positive and negative energies. Power is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cunningham/the-power-is-neutral-it-cannot-be-divided-into-positive-and-negative/) [Scott Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cunningham/) > [Information is not power. Power is power. 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