The Cathedral and the Bazaar
"The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond explores two contrasting models of software development: the closed, centralized approach (the Cathedral) and the open, decentralized approach (the Bazaar). Through a series of essays, Raymond advocates for the collaborative nature of open-source software, highlighting its benefits in innovation and quality. He uses real-world examples to illustrate how the Bazaar model can lead to more effective and responsive development processes.
10 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from The Cathedral and the Bazaar, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
Given a big enough lever, you can move the world.
The best way to get good ideas is to have lots of ideas.
If you want to make a contribution, you need to be part of a community.
Release early, release often.
Good programmers know what to write. Great ones know what to rewrite.
The most effective way to communicate is to share code.
The value of a program is proportional to the number of people who use it.
The cathedrals are built by the few, the bazaars are built by the many.
Every good work of software starts by scratching a developer's personal itch.
You can't control a project, but you can control its environment.