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Dec 03, 2010

David rated it:

This is a famous paean to Open Source software, a bit dated now but still relevant. It explains very clearly why the OS movement is so popular; it also gives you an idea of why so many OS advocates are insufferable zealots. Eric Raymond is an ideologue preaching his message, and while he makes good points (usually), it does get very preachy at times (and also ignores some of the economic realities). Good reading if you're really into geek sociology and want to understand why Linux really was rat More...

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Sep 14, 2011

Mark rated it:

As though a cross between a series of memoirs and a technquel manual for how to develop an open source project, this work is one of the defining pieces of literature in the world of the hacker culture. In terms of what that means for this book, hacker refers not to those shady cybercriminals that silently lurk on the Internet trying to squeeze their way into any computer they can (much like the one you, are now probably reading this on). The original meaning for the word hacker in respects to th More...

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Sep 28, 2009

Caolan rated it:

Fairly short and bounds along at a good pace. Sometimes the support of open source seems a little strained, but generally more balanced than I expected. However, if you're looking for lots of detail, then this might not be the book you want. I would consider it more an introduction to the economics and social structure of open source, with plenty of pointers for further reading if it should tempt you.

It all seems pretty sensible until you get to the 'How to Become a Hacker' section, wh More...

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Oct 05, 2007

Louis rated it:

How does a gift economy work? EricRaymond has a collection of essays written over the 1990's looking at the culture o software programming, in particular the subculture that develops and uses open source (or free software). In particular, his writings attempt to explain why does open source not fall into the trap of the free rider problem or the tragedy of the commons.

The answer he comes up with are several. One is the concept of 'scratch your own itch'. The idea that programmers fin More...

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Nov 25, 2011

Jim rated it:

I've just started learning to use Unix systems and do some serious coding this year. This book is a really interesting look into the past 20 years or so of computing and how things came to be the way they are. ESR's writings collected here remind me just how crazy it is that Apache running on Linux is the most widely-used server setup on the web, that Perl and gcc are ubiquitous, and that the browser with the second-biggest market share is open-source. All in all, a very interesting and instr More...

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Feb 09, 2007

Mike rated it:

Accidental Revolutionary says it best.

The Cathedral and the Bazaar is a well known essay in the software dev. community, that O'Reily packaged into a book. The paper details the development of one of the earliest open source software projects and how the scope and functionality of the program grew as more and more people began to contribute and solve problems, all without a single cent being paid to anyone.
Since this story took place this style of software development has blos More...

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May 25, 2009

Mary rated it:

Although Raymond seems a bit overly optimistic about the impact of open source software on the marketplace, and his arguments occasionally seem to be straining to support his view of open source as world changing, the book is still riveting. Raymond uses glittering metaphors to make the sometimes dry and complex history of open source software development highly readable.

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Aug 25, 2010

Paul rated it:

It seemed really important to get and read this book shortly after I started running Mandrake Linux 6.5 with the help of my brother Mike back in 1999, I had discover open source and Free (as in freedom) software, and was excited to understand it. Recently, I tried flipping through it again, and found it pretty dry and not at all comparable to my initial impression.

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Aug 11, 2011

Albert rated it:

An internal hacker's history of the rise of open source software and Linux, presented as a series of essays. At times prophetic, at other times quite dated. Only made it through half of the essays before losing it while traveling in Finland (i.e., releasing it open source).

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Aug 30, 2010

Taryn rated it:

Interesting classic about the difference between two styles of software development. Was written at a time when it was accepted wisdom that "good" software had to be written cathedral-style... this book argued that great things can also come out of the bazaar.

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Mar 07, 2009

Bryan rated it:

I've had a copy of this book since it came out, but never sat down to really read it. Now has been a good time for it, since I've been on a non-fiction kick for a while. It's a bit more academic than I am at times, and it's unfortunately becoming rather historic pretty quickly. This makes it a better read to remember what mentality brought us to where we are today, lest we forget that our communities are what give us power and don't work for us.

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Nov 05, 2010

Justin rated it:

This book was a very good analysis for how opensource took the world by storm so to speak. It also nicely outlines the various business models where it makes the most sense to deploy opensource and where it does not.

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Feb 12, 2012

John added it

A famous, even seminal, reference. But this isn't a Clay Shirky-style book. Instead, "musings" in the subtitle captures the essence of it. Worth theread forte historical significance at least.

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May 04, 2008

Steve rated it:

Decoding Liberation mentioned this book quite a lot so I was curious to read it. I wasn't disappointed as it's a more hands-on look at the open source software movement from a participant. Raymond talks a lot about the sociological, psychological, and economic aspects of the movement, that while is nowhere as in-depth as Decoding Liberation, is also a lot more accessible.
Raymond also has some interesting points about open source software from a management perspective.
If you're looki More...

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Jun 15, 2011

Paul rated it:

A fascinating look at the history of open source software and an interesting attempt to analyse its origins and imperatives. The. book is a bit dated in places and, with the benefit of hindsight, some of the predictions are a bit optimistic, but a riveting read nonetheless.

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May 11, 2008

Josh rated it:

While this book is purportedly about open source software, it's actually about far more than that. Since it was first written, we've seen the development of open source communities dedicated to news and information (think Wikipedia), and many of them follow many of the same patterns Raymond outlines here. Clay Shirky, for instance, gets a lot of mileage out of Raymond's ideas in his new book on online organizing, Here Comes Everybody.

You need not purchase The Cathedral and the Bazaar More...

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Aug 08, 2010

Alan rated it:

See my article on Connected.org
Open sourcing ideas - A hacker approach to working, learning and writing
http://www.connected.org/learn/hackers.h...

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Jan 16, 2010

Amy rated it:

Parts of this book are a bit dated, which is why I feel I should knock off a star, but it's still full of super-relevant insights about software development.

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Mar 27, 2009

Jonathan rated it:

Interesting read for any software developer. Especially for the younger generation who have grown up in an open source world.

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Feb 09, 2012

Arun rated it:

Amazing book on why the open source model works, supported by frameworks more than: software is supposed to be free ideology

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Jul 25, 2009

Matt rated it:

Inspiring book about the Open Source movement from its president. Couldn't put it down, and it made me reinstall Linux!

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Jul 16, 2011

Gabe rated it:

Fantastic! This sums up why big corporations and big organizations in general are really stupid!

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Oct 07, 2011

Ashutosh is currently reading it

Just started with the book but I can sense a quiet disrespect for Richard Stallman.

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Feb 17, 2009

Christian rated it:

Must read for everybody interested in "Real Programmers" and Open Source.

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Aug 26, 2011

Georgi rated it:

Excellent and actual information!

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Feb 27, 2010

John rated it:

I finally got around to reading this essay about 15 years after the fact. It has probably lost some of its lustre since then, and occasionally seems a little silly, especially after just having finished Joel on Software. In any event, it's a good book and a good story and worth reading.

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Apr 08, 2010

Amy rated it:

I've only gotten through 3/4 of this book, but now have an e-copy of it.

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Apr 21, 2009

Morgan rated it:

Interesting analysis of society and software. Answers the question re: why open source IS better than closed source programming even when it seems counter intuitive. Also, a breezy, but not lightweight read with lots of humor.

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Mar 01, 2008

David rated it:

Eric S. Raymond, like many famous hackers, is a Character. He's also a clear, entertaining, and methodical writer.

There is a lot here on the sociology of open source software development, and on ideas that are not strictly connected to the details of coding. So one could conceivably enjoy the book without any real knowledge of software design. I'm not sure about this, though.

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Feb 23, 2011

Kirt rated it:

I didn't know this book was so short. It is a quick read and has a few very interesting points. Evidence in the book for Bazaar methods to programming seems lighter than I thought it would be. Of course 15 years later, with what has happened with the open source community, his arguments seemed to have been proven out for the most part. Well worth the read for programmers.

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