--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When writing gateway software of any…" description: "\"When writing gateway software of any kind, take pains to disturb the data stream as little as possible - and never throw away information unless the re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/072/eric-s-raymond-5007_data_when-writing-gateway-software-of-any-kin_2383343.png" --- # When writing gateway software of any kind, take pains to… ![“When writing gateway software of any kind, take pains to disturb the data stream as little as possible - and never throw away information unless the recipient forces you to!” quote by Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/072/eric-s-raymond-5007_data_when-writing-gateway-software-of-any-kin_2383343.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/072/eric-s-raymond-5007_data_when-writing-gateway-software-of-any-kin_2383343.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/072/eric-s-raymond-5007_data_when-writing-gateway-software-of-any-kin_2383343.png) > “When writing gateway software of any kind, take pains to disturb the data stream as little as possible - and never throw away information unless the recipient forces you to!” [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. Minimize interference with data flow and preserve information unless forced to discard it. **In simple terms:** Keep data streams clean and retain info unless required. Key Takeaway Design software that respects data integrity. Themes software design data integrity efficiency Mood pragmatic analytical Type technical advisory When to use this quote - network programming - embedded systems - API design - data pipelines Key Concepts information theory robustness Questions to Reflect On - When is it acceptable to discard data? - How does data disturbance affect system reliability? A Different Perspective Sometimes preserving all data can hurt performance or storage constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Software](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/software/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“People will resist information unless the price of not knowing it greatly exceeds the price of learning it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-mooers/people-will-resist-information-unless-the-price-of-not-knowing-it/) Calvin Mooers > [“You can’t samba in a data stream,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-samba-in-a-data-stream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The data stream has been corrupted, return to first principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-data-stream-has-been-corrupted-return-to-first-principles/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The Internet is a really big tent. In theory, it can support the full range of models, one of which is, 'Here's my information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/the-internet-is-a-really-big-tent-in-theory-it-can-support-the-full/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [Comics are a gateway into literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-mouly/comics-are-a-gateway-into-literature/) [Francoise Mouly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-mouly/) > [June is the gateway to summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hersey/june-is-the-gateway-to-summer/) [Jean Hersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hersey/) > [You wanna know what a gateway drug is? It opens a gate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/you-wanna-know-what-a-gateway-drug-is-it-opens-a-gate/) [Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/) > [“There are many gateways. And we may need to master all of them in order to gain full access to who we truly are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franco-santoro/there-are-many-gateways-and-we-may-need-to-master-all-of-them-in/) [Franco Santoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franco-santoro/) > [The Soul is the Gateway to Heaven within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/choa-kok-sui/the-soul-is-the-gateway-to-heaven-within-you/) [Choa Kok Sui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/choa-kok-sui/) > [For it is in letting go of the past that you reclaim your power. Step through the gateway now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-blum/for-it-is-in-letting-go-of-the-past-that-you-reclaim-your-power-step/) Ralph Blum > [Rapture is the gateway to nirvana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/rapture-is-the-gateway-to-nirvana/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [From compassion springs humility. The ego is verily a gateway to hell. The person who is egoistic is far from being religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-vaswani/from-compassion-springs-humility-the-ego-is-verily-a-gateway-to-hell/) [Dada Vaswani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-vaswani/) > [The Syrian border town of Qa'im was the main gateway Islamic radicals used to go to Iraq. 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