Eric S. Raymond

American programmer & open source advocate (1957-) · United States · Developers

Eric S. Raymond is read about 236 times a day, in 39 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 15 October 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 390 days, one point a day.

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He gave the open-source movement its manifesto. "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" - published first as an essay in 1997, then as a book in 1999 - became the argument that persuaded corporations Linux wasn't chaos. The essay still circulates anywhere people debate how software should be built.

A life in dates

2020“It shouldn't be news to anyone that there is an effort afoot to change - I would say corrupt - the fundamental premises of the open-source culture.”In their words27 February 2020"The right to be rude" (27 February 2020)Read the whole statement

2019“Don't forget to have fun. That drive to experiment, to try things, to have fun, to be playful, that is what will sustain your creativity over the long term. Don't lose that.”In their words20 May 2019"Penguicon 2019: A Chat With Eric S. Raymond" (20 May 2019)Read the whole statement

2014“I publish this blog in part because I think it is my duty to speak taboo and unspeakable truths.”In their words14 August 2014"Demilitarize the police - and stop flinging false racism charges" (August 14 2014)Read the whole statement

2013“Android continues to stomp its competition flat.”In their words3 September 2013"The Smartphone Wars: Nokia gives it up for Microsoft" (3 September 2013)Read the whole statement

2012“An Apple employee copied Sony's design, circulated it to his bosses, and testified to these facts in court.”In their words20 July 2012"The Smartphone Wars: The iPhone Design Was Inspired by Sony" (20 July 2012)Read the whole statement

2010“Good causes sometimes have bad consequences.”In their words18 July 2010"Kafkatrapping" (18 July 2010)Read the whole statement

1957Born4 December 1957

Also in Deutsch

Photos 2

ESR at the SouthEast LinuxFest in 2019

In their own words 10

Eric S. Raymond

10 statements, newest first

The habit of institutional tone policing, even when well-intentioned, too easily slides into the active censorship of disfavored views.
Feb 27, 2020, "The right to be rude" (27 February 2020), Own words
It shouldn't be news to anyone that there is an effort afoot to change - I would say corrupt - the fundamental premises of the open-source culture.
Feb 27, 2020, "The right to be rude" (27 February 2020), Own words
Don't forget to have fun. That drive to experiment, to try things, to have fun, to be playful, that is what will sustain your creativity over the long term. Don't lose that.
May 20, 2019, "Penguicon 2019: A Chat With Eric S. Raymond" (20 May 2019), Own words

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GitHub

@eric-s-raymond

Followers745

Public repos37

About this person

Eric Steven Raymond was born December 4, 1957. In the 1990s he edited and updated the Jargon File, which became The New Hacker's Dictionary - a catalog of programmer slang and culture. He also wrote a guidebook for the Roguelike game NetHack. Then in 1997 he published the essay that would define him: "The Cathedral and the Bazaar," expanded into a book in 1999, laid out why decentralized, transparent development could beat the old closed model. It became the text open-source advocates handed to skeptics, and Raymond became the movement's most visible spokesman.

Country

United States