--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The history of Unix should have prepared…" description: "\"“The history of Unix should have prepared us for what we’re learning from Linux (and what I’ve verified experimentally on a smaller scale by deliberate..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/eric-s-raymond-5007_coding_the-history-of-unix-should-have-prepared_525059.png" --- # The history of Unix should have prepared us for what we’re… ![“The history of Unix should have prepared us for what we’re learning from Linux (and what I’ve verified experimentally on a smaller scale by deliberately copying Linus’s methodsNote 12). That is, while coding remains an essentially solitary activity, the really great hacks come from harnessing the…” quote by Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/eric-s-raymond-5007_coding_the-history-of-unix-should-have-prepared_525059.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/eric-s-raymond-5007_coding_the-history-of-unix-should-have-prepared_525059.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/eric-s-raymond-5007_coding_the-history-of-unix-should-have-prepared_525059.png) > ““The history of Unix should have prepared us for what we’re learning from Linux (and what I’ve verified experimentally on a smaller scale by deliberately copying Linus’s methodsNote 12). That is, while coding remains an essentially solitary activity, the really great hacks come from harnessing the attention and brainpower of entire communities. The developer who uses only his or her own brain in a closed project is going to fall behind the developer who knows how to create an open, evolutionary context in which feedback exploring the design space, code contributions, bug-spotting, and other improvements come from from hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people.”” [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. Collaboration amplifies innovation; solitary coding limits potential. **In simple terms:** Teamwork boosts creativity. Key Takeaway Leverage community feedback. Themes collaboration innovation open source Mood enthusiastic inspired Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - software development - open source projects - hackathons - peer review Key Concepts collective intelligence distributed problem solving Questions to Reflect On - How can you invite diverse input without diluting vision? - What structures support effective large‑scale collaboration? A Different Perspective Relying on community can slow decision making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coding/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [In early 1993, a hostile observer might have had grounds for thinking that the Unix story was almost played out, and with it the…](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/) > [If Unix could present the same face, the same capabilities, on machines of many different types, it could serve as a common software environment…](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/) > [For the first time, individual hackers could afford to have home machines comparable in power and storage capacity to the minicomputers of ten years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/for-the-first-time-individual-hackers-could-afford-to-have-home/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [I think coding is gonna become the blue collar work of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martellus-bennett/i-think-coding-is-gonna-become-the-blue-collar-work-of-the-future/) [Martellus Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martellus-bennett/) > [Unix is a junk OS designed by a committee of PhDs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-cutler/unix-is-a-junk-os-designed-by-a-committee-of-phds/) Dave Cutler > [ Please don't fall into the trap of believing that I am terribly dogmatical about \[the goto statement\]. I have the uncomfortable feeling that others… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/please-don-t-fall-into-the-trap-of-believing-that-i-am-terribly/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [I believe coding is fundamental to literacy in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/i-believe-coding-is-fundamental-to-literacy-in-the-future/) [Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/) > [“Naskar Constitution of GenAI (Sonnet) At times I'm hard on AI, at times I'm lenient, I have just one law on AI, keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/naskar-constitution-of-genai-sonnet-at-times-i-m-hard-on-ai-at-times/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [After all, if you had the complete decision process, you could run it as an AI, and I'd be coding it up right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/after-all-if-you-had-the-complete-decision-process-you-could-run-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Nothing that happened in the past is anything we can change. And it shouldn’t interfere with the happiness of the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-armstrong/nothing-that-happened-in-the-past-is-anything-we-can-change-and-it/) [Linda Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-armstrong/) > [Whether you draw diagrams that generate code or you type at a browser, you are coding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/whether-you-draw-diagrams-that-generate-code-or-you-type-at-a-browser/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) > [“In this world, you are really limited only by your imagination. And coding ability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-this-world-you-are-really-limited-only-by-your-imagination-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It appears evident that, for the average team, insisting on writing tests first, before functional coding, improves quality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-anderson/it-appears-evident-that-for-the-average-team-insisting-on-writing/) [David J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-anderson/) > [For me, coding is a form of self-expression. The company controls the most effective means of self-expression I have. This is unacceptable to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-frankel/for-me-coding-is-a-form-of-self-expression-the-company-controls-the/) Justin Frankel > [“You’re thinking she doesn’t see your outfit, or the color of your shoes. What she does see is You! I think you could stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-armstrong/you-re-thinking-she-doesn-t-see-your-outfit-or-the-color-of-your/) [Linda Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-armstrong/) ## 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/) [Explore all 104 Eric S. Raymond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) ## More Coding quotes > [I think coding is gonna become the blue collar work of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martellus-bennett/i-think-coding-is-gonna-become-the-blue-collar-work-of-the-future/) [Martellus Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martellus-bennett/) > [ Please don't fall into the trap of believing that I am terribly dogmatical about \[the goto statement\]. I have the uncomfortable feeling that others… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/please-don-t-fall-into-the-trap-of-believing-that-i-am-terribly/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [I believe coding is fundamental to literacy in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/i-believe-coding-is-fundamental-to-literacy-in-the-future/) [Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/) > [“Naskar Constitution of GenAI (Sonnet) At times I'm hard on AI, at times I'm lenient, I have just one law on AI, keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/naskar-constitution-of-genai-sonnet-at-times-i-m-hard-on-ai-at-times/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [For me, coding is a form of self-expression. The company controls the most effective means of self-expression I have. This is unacceptable to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-frankel/for-me-coding-is-a-form-of-self-expression-the-company-controls-the/) Justin Frankel > [“It appears evident that, for the average team, insisting on writing tests first, before functional coding, improves quality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-anderson/it-appears-evident-that-for-the-average-team-insisting-on-writing/) [David J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-anderson/) > [“You’re thinking she doesn’t see your outfit, or the color of your shoes. What she does see is You! I think you could stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-armstrong/you-re-thinking-she-doesn-t-see-your-outfit-or-the-color-of-your/) [Linda Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-armstrong/) > [“In this world, you are really limited only by your imagination. And coding ability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-this-world-you-are-really-limited-only-by-your-imagination-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whether you draw diagrams that generate code or you type at a browser, you are coding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/whether-you-draw-diagrams-that-generate-code-or-you-type-at-a-browser/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) > [“Nothing that happened in the past is anything we can change. And it shouldn’t interfere with the happiness of the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-armstrong/nothing-that-happened-in-the-past-is-anything-we-can-change-and-it/) [Linda Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-armstrong/) > [After all, if you had the complete decision process, you could run it as an AI, and I'd be coding it up right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/after-all-if-you-had-the-complete-decision-process-you-could-run-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I wouldn't want everybody to be an art or literature major, but the world would be poorer - figuratively, anyway - if we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/i-wouldn-t-want-everybody-to-be-an-art-or-literature-major-but-the/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [“Once out, AI is here to stay, but there are meaningful ways to use AI instead of cheap forgery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/once-out-ai-is-here-to-stay-but-there-are-meaningful-ways-to-use-ai/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [All I ever wanted was a bunch of good friends. All I got was a bunch of codes to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bikramjit-sarker/all-i-ever-wanted-was-a-bunch-of-good-friends-all-i-got-was-a-bunch/) [Bikramjit Sarker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bikramjit-sarker/) > [“The best defense against a nuke is not another nuke, but a code.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-best-defense-against-a-nuke-is-not-another-nuke-but-a-code/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) [Browse all 72 Coding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The history of Unix should have prepared us for what we’re learning from Linux (and what I’ve verified experimentally on a smaller scale by deliberately copying Linus’s methodsNote 12). That is, while coding remains an essentially solitary activity, the really great hacks come from harnessing the attention and brainpower of entire communities. 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