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Bram Cohen

Bram Cohen Quotes

Computer programmer

Bram Cohen is a renowned computer programmer, born on October 12, 1975. He is best known for his contributions to P2P file-sharing technology, particularly for developing the BitTorrent protocol, a widely used file distribution protocol on the internet.

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Famous Bram Cohen Quotes

“One thing about school - I always had this attitude that I was in school to learn, and attempted to do whatever was involved in that process, while school had this attitude that I was there to earn grades, which I couldn't care less about. Unsurprisingly, my grades weren't very good.”

Care School Process Attitude One Thing Involved Very Good Grades Grades In School

Author:Bram Cohen

“When you're a connoiseur you look for interesting rather than good.”

Looks Interesting

Author:Bram Cohen

“Lawyers can't tell you you can't do something. They can warn you about risks, and in extreme cases tell you that something is such a bad idea you'll need to get someone other than them to do it but the judgment call of whether the risk is worth it is the entrepreneur's.”

Needs Ideas Cases Risk Judgment Entrepreneur Extremes Lawyer Worth It Bad Ideas

Author:Bram Cohen

“It's always hard to predict what's coming up next. My main guess is that content creators will increasingly start using BitTorrent to distribute their own work directly.”

Hard Next Creator

Author:Bram Cohen

“Technology is not a panacea. I refuse to work on technology to track users, analyze usage patterns, watermark information, censor, detect drug use, or eavesdrop. I am not naive enough to think any of those technologies could enable a 'compromise'.”

Thinking Enough Use Technology Information Drug Patterns Track Refuse Compromise Users Naive Usage Drug Use Panacea

Author:Bram Cohen

“The content people have no clue. I mean, no clue. The cost of bandwidth is going down to nothing. And the size of hard drives is getting so big, and they're so cheap, that pretty soon you'll have every song you own on one hard drive. The content distribution industry is going to evaporate.”

People Mean Hard Bigs Song Industry Cost Size Clue Distribution Bandwidth

Author:Bram Cohen

“The mark of a mature programmer is willingness to throw out code you spent time on when you realize it's pointless”

Realizing Mark Code Mature Willingness Pointless Programmers

Author:Bram Cohen

“Despite my emphasis on technology, I do not view laws as inherently evil. My goals are political ones, even if my techniques are not. The only way to fundamentally succeed is by changing existing laws. If I rejected all help from the political arena I would inevitably fail.”

Ifs Way Helping Law Political Evil Goal Views Technology Failing Succeed Technique Despite Rejected Emphasis Arena

Author:Bram Cohen

“Arimaa's a better game than I thought. It follows a fairly sound approach to making the game difficult for computers.”

Games Difficult Sound Computer Approach

Author:Bram Cohen

“I am a technological activist. I have a political agenda. I am in favor of basic human rights: to free speech, to use any information and technology, to purchase and use recreational drugs, to enjoy and purchase so-called 'vices', to be free of intruders, and to privacy.”

“The next release of mainline is going to have a lot of the advanced features people want, by the way.”

People Way Want Next Release Features

Author:Bram Cohen

“You get so tired of having your work die. I just wanted to make something that people would actually use.”

People Use Wanted Dies Tired

Author:Bram Cohen

“My favorite language for maintainability is Python. It has simple, clean syntax, object encapsulation, good library support, and optional named parameters.”

Language Simple Support Objects Clean Library My Favorite Parameters Optional Syntax Python

Author:Bram Cohen

“Give and ye shall receive.”

Author:Bram Cohen

“With BitTorrent, the cat's out of the bag.”

Author:Bram Cohen

“My father taught me Basic and rudimentary C, I learned everything else on my own, including studying computational complexity on my own. That's more a function of my age than anything else though - back when I was in school there were hardly any programming classes.”

Age School Father My Own Class Study Taught Function Including Complexity Programming Back When

Author:Bram Cohen

“In terms of work I've always had a Bad Attitude in that I won't work anywhere which requires me to work strict hours or follow a dress code. I don't know if that's an Asperger's thing or not, I think it's just being reasonable.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Term Hours Attitude Dresses Code Reasonable Just Being Strict Bad Attitude Aspergers Dress Code

Author:Bram Cohen

“I can come off as pretty arrogant, but it's because I know I'm right.”

Knows I Can Arrogant

Author:Bram Cohen

“I've accomplished more working on my own than I ever did as part of a team.”

My Own Team Accomplished

Author:Bram Cohen

“A good way to have good ideas is by being unoriginal.”

Way Ideas Programming Good Ideas Good Way

Author:Bram Cohen

“The trick is to fix the problem you have, rather than the problem you want.”

Want Problem Tricks Programming

Author:Bram Cohen

“Things which any idiot could write usually have the quality of having been written by an idiot.”

Writing Quality Written Idiot Programming

Author:Bram Cohen

About the Author

Born: October 12, 1975
Known for: Computer programmer
Quotes: 22

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