Photo: Erc_S_Raymond_and_company.jpg: jerone2 derivative work: Bilby (talk) / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Eric S. Raymond was born on December 4, 1957 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is credited as a programmer, writer and journalist. That puts Eric S. Raymond at 68 years old in 2026. Education on record includes University of Pennsylvania. Credited works include The Cathedral and the Bazaar and Fetchmail.
My Take
Eric S. Raymond is someone whose single essay, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, genuinely reshaped how software gets built. Popularizing the language and ethos of open source is no small legacy. What interests me is his range: a programmer who also writes as an anthropologist and journalist, suggesting a mind that wants to explain culture, not just code. Projects like Fetchmail prove he stays a hands-on practitioner, not merely a pundit. His public statements have drawn plenty of criticism over the years, but the fact remains that he moved an era through ideas, and that kind of influence is rare.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Eric S. Raymond
- Name (Japanese)
- エリック・レイモンド
- Reading
- えりっく・れいもんど
- Born
- December 4, 1957 (age 68)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Occupation
- programmer / writer / journalist / anthropologist / hacker
2. Background
- University
- University of Pennsylvania
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Cathedral and the Bazaar | — | |
| Notable work | Fetchmail | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.catb.org/esr/
- Xhttps://x.com/esrtweet
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric%20S.%20Raymond
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AA%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188954
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Eric S. Raymond born?
Born December 4, 1957 (age 68).
Where is Eric S. Raymond from?
Eric S. Raymond is from Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
What does Eric S. Raymond do?
Eric S. Raymond works as programmer, writer, journalist, anthropologist, hacker.
What is Eric S. Raymond known for?
Notable works include The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Fetchmail.
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