One of the most influential people in today's software industry, Eric S. Raymond is probably best known for writing a widely-disseminated essay entitled "The Cathedral and the Bazaar." The ideas presented in this essay and his continued research have helped explain the decentralized "open-source" model of software development (Linux being the most public example) that has proven so effective in the evolution of the Internet. The open-source model maintains the best way to produce quality software is to give the world free access to the underlying source code.

His work as an observer-participant anthropologist in the Internet hacker culture has helped to crystallize and encourage the modern open-source software phenomenon and has been acknowledged as playing a major role in the open sourcing of many software projects, Netscape's Mozilla browser being the most prominent.

His own software projects include one of the Internet's most widely-used email transport programs.

He was a co-founder and the first president of the Open Source Initiative, which provides guidelines and encouragement for the continued acceptance of open source software. Raymond and others believe open source is not only economically viable, but, in many cases, economically inevitable.

His books include The New Hacker's Dictionary, which he conceived and co-edited and which was reviewed enthusiastically in The New York Times, PC Magazine, Byte, PC World, and numerous other popular and technical magazines. His articles have appeared in such influential publications as Salon, PC Magazine, Byte, Linux Journal, and others. He has been interviewed by magazines including People and Wired.

Raymond is also an active defender of First and Second amendment rights. He supports organizations fighting censorship on the Internet and supporting the right to use strong encryption for privacy. He also maintains a FAQ on libertarianism, and has published plenty of information on the right to keep and bear arms.

He is a science fiction fan, a musician, and a martial artist with a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

-- Kalin Harvey
 

Quotable

"How does one get involved [in libertarianism]? Think about freedom, and act on your thoughts. Spend your dollars wisely. Oppose the expansion of state power. Promote 'bottom-up' solutions to public problems, solutions that empower individuals rather than demanding intervention by force of government. Give to private charity. Join a libertarian organization; the Libertarian Party, or the Advocates for Self-Government, or the Reason Foundation. Start your own business; create wealth and celebrate others who create wealth. Support voluntary cooperation." -- Eric S. Raymond

Books & Tapes

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