Eric S. Raymond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric S. Raymond
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Raymond at Linucon in 2004
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| Born | December 4, 1957 Boston, Massachusetts, US
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| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Software developer, author |
Eric Steven Raymond (born December 4, 1957), often called ESR, is an American software developer and writer. He is well-known for his ideas about open-source software. His famous essay and book, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, explain how open-source projects can work best. He also helped create a guide for the game NetHack. In the 1990s, he updated the Jargon File, which is like a dictionary for computer hackers.
Contents
Eric Raymond's Early Life
Eric Raymond was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1957. He lived in Venezuela when he was a child. In 1971, his family moved to Pennsylvania. Eric was born with cerebral palsy, which affected his physical health. This condition encouraged him to get involved with computers.
Eric Raymond's Career in Software
Eric Raymond started his career in computer programming in the 1980s. At first, he wrote software that was owned by companies (called proprietary software).
Updating the Jargon File
In 1990, Eric noticed that the Jargon File hadn't been updated in many years. He decided to take over its maintenance. This file is a collection of slang and terms used by computer hackers.
The Cathedral and the Bazaar
In 1996, Eric began working on an open-source email program called "popclient." He later renamed it Fetchmail. This experience gave him many ideas about how software should be made.
In 1997, he wrote an important essay called "The Cathedral and the Bazaar". In this essay, he shared his thoughts on open-source software development. He argued that software should be developed as openly as possible. He called this the "bazaar" approach, like a busy marketplace. He first shared these ideas at a computer conference in 1997. Later, he turned the essay into a book in 1999. His ideas were very popular and influenced many people. For example, the company Netscape decided to release its software code as open source, partly because of Eric's essay.
Open Source Initiative
Because his essay was so popular, Eric Raymond became a leading voice in the open-source movement. In 1998, he helped start the Open Source Initiative (OSI). This group works to promote and protect open-source software. He often spoke to the media and businesses about the benefits of open source. He was president of the OSI until 2005.
The Halloween Documents
In 1998, Eric Raymond received and shared some secret documents from Microsoft. These documents showed that Microsoft was worried about how good rival open-source software was. He called these papers "The Halloween Documents."
Other Projects and Contributions
Between 2000 and 2002, Eric created a system called CML2. It was meant to help configure the Linux kernel, but it was not used by the main Linux developers.
In 2003, he wrote a book called The Art of Unix Programming. This book talks about tools that programmers use.
Eric has also contributed to other projects. Some versions of the game NetHack still include his guide. He has also helped with the free software video game The Battle for Wesnoth.
More recently, Eric Raymond has been the main developer for NTPsec. This is a more secure version of a common computer program called NTP. He has also created other open-source tools, like those that help move code between different computer systems.
Eric Raymond's Views on Open Source
Eric Raymond came up with a famous saying called Linus's law. It was inspired by Linus Torvalds, who created Linux. The saying is: "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." This means that if many people look at a piece of software, it's easier to find and fix any problems. He first wrote this in his book The Cathedral and the Bazaar.
Eric believes that programmers should have the right to choose how they share their work. He thinks that if a programmer wants to sell a program, it's their decision how they sell it.
Political Beliefs
Eric Raymond is a member of the Libertarian Party. He also supports gun rights. He has spoken positively about groups that create open-source firearms, seeing it as a way to make it harder for governments or criminals to control force.
Religious Beliefs
Eric Raymond has said that he follows neo-pagan beliefs.
See also
- Revolution OS (film)
- Hacker ethic
- Halloween documents
- Release early, release often
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Eric S. Raymond para niños
