Steve Yegge

Yegge began high school at 11 and graduated when he was 14. During his youth, Yegge played guitar in garage bands. After turning 18, Yegge joined the United States Navy and attended Nuclear Power School to become a nuclear reactor operator.{{Cite web|title=Steve Yegge {{!}} How to Ignore Marketing and Become Irrelevant in Two Easy Steps|url=http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3375.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729203842/http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3375.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-07-29|date=2013-07-29|access-date=2020-05-25}} Yegge received a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Washington.{{cite web|title=Steve Yegge - How to Ignore Marketing and Become Irrelevant in Two Easy Steps|url=http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3375.html|date=29 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729203842/http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3375.html|archive-date=29 July 2013|accessdate=24 January 2018}}

Yegge began his career as a computer programmer at GeoWorks in 1992.{{Cite web|title=Steve Yegge had an interesting take on what it was like to work at GeoWorks: > ... {{!}} Hacker News|url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14749659|website=news.ycombinator.com|access-date=2020-05-25}}{{Cite book|last=Yegge|first=Steve|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dZx-BwAAQBAJ&q=steve+yegge+geoworks&pg=PT347|title=A Programmer's Rantings: On Programming-Language Religions, Code Philosophies, Google Work Culture, and Other Stuff|date=2012-12-01|publisher=Hyperink Inc|isbn=978-1-61464-595-5|language=en}} From 1998 to 2005, he worked as a Senior Manager of Software Development at Amazon. From 2005 to 2018, Yegge worked as a Senior Staff Software Engineer at Google in Kirkland, Washington. In 2018, Yegge left Google to join Grab, a ridesharing company based in Singapore with an American hub in Seattle.{{Cite web|title=Asia news roundup: Grab hires vocal senior Google engineer, WeChat Pay makes a major move|url=https://www.techinasia.com/apac-news-24-01-2018|last=Ellis|first=Jack|date=2018-01-24|website=Techinasia.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-24}} After leaving Google, Yegge was interviewed by CNBC about why he left the company. Yegge stated that the company had grown "too conservative" and was "no longer innovative."{{Cite web|title=Engineer who spent 13 years at Google reveals the 5 reasons he recently decided to quit|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/25/former-google-engineer-steve-yegge-reveals-the-5-reasons-he-quit.html|last=Umoh|first=Ruth|date=2018-01-25|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25}}

In May 2020, Yegge announced that he would be leaving Grab to focus on the development of Wyvern, a video game he has been working on independently since 1995.{{Cite web|title=Saying Goodbye to the Best Gig I Ever Had|url=https://medium.com/@steve.yegge/saying-goodbye-to-the-best-gig-i-ever-had-a33736833c1e|last=Yegge|first=Steve|date=2020-05-19|website=Medium|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25}}

In October 2022, Yegge joined Sourcegraph as Head of Engineering.{{Cite web|title=Steve Yegge joins as Head of Engineering |url= https://about.sourcegraph.com/blog/introducing-steve-yegge |website=Sourcegraph|language=en|access-date=2022-01-04}}

Yegge's blog has received considerable attention, particularly his series of posts on hiring and interviewing.{{cite web |url=http://iunknown.com/2008/03/steve-yegge-on-interviewing.html |title=Steve Yegge on Interviewing | John Lam on Software |publisher=Iunknown.com |date=2008-04-25 |accessdate=2010-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014165215/http://iunknown.com/2008/03/steve-yegge-on-interviewing.html |archivedate=2010-10-14 }}{{cite web|url=http://hoolihan.net/blog-tim/?p=96 |title=Tim Hoolihan » Thinking About Steve Yegge's Hiring Post |publisher=Hoolihan.net |date=2008-11-24 |accessdate=2010-12-07}}{{cite web |url=http://www.noop.nl/2008/03/why-i-would-nev.html |title=Why I Would Never Hire Steve Yegge - Agile Management |publisher=Noop.Nl |date=2008-03-13 |accessdate=2010-12-07 |archive-date=2011-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707133236/http://www.noop.nl/2008/03/why-i-would-nev.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://nicklothian.com/blog/2008/11/24/my-google-interview/ |title=BadMagicNumber » My Google Interview |publisher=Nicklothian.com |date=2008-11-24 |accessdate=2010-12-07}}{{cite web |url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/328420/computer-science-questions-during-interview |title=Computer Science questions during interview? |publisher=Stack Overflow |accessdate=2010-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904073641/http://stackoverflow.com/questions/328420/computer-science-questions-during-interview |archivedate=2010-09-04 }}

In addition to his posts on hiring and interviewing, Yegge's "Lisp is Not an Acceptable Lisp" post about the Lisp programming language has been widely discussed and cited.{{cite web|author=chanson April 15th, 2006 |url=http://chanson.livejournal.com/142741.html |title=Chris Hanson - Steve Yegge describes what's wrong with Lisp |publisher=Chanson.livejournal.com |date=2006-04-15 |accessdate=2010-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120721200930/http://chanson.livejournal.com/142741.html |archivedate=2012-07-21 }}{{cite web |url=http://paulbarry.com/articles/2009/02/05/is-clojure-an-acceptable-lisp |title=Is Clojure An Acceptable Lisp? |publisher=PaulBarry.com |date=2009-02-05 |accessdate=2010-12-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128044858/http://paulbarry.com/articles/2009/02/05/is-clojure-an-acceptable-lisp |archivedate=2010-11-28 }}{{cite web|url=http://eli.thegreenplace.net/2006/10/27/the-sad-state-of-the-lisp-user-community/ |title=Eli Bendersky's website » Blog Archive » The sad state of the Lisp user community |publisher=Eli.thegreenplace.net |date=2006-10-27 |accessdate=2010-12-07}}{{cite web |author=Karl on June 13, 2009 10:04 PM |url=http://www.paradox1x.org/archives/2009/06/getting-lisp.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906222110/http://www.paradox1x.org/archives/2009/06/getting-lisp.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-06 |title=Getting Lisp |publisher=paradox1x |date=2009-06-13 |accessdate=2010-12-07 }}{{cite web|author=Leon Bambrick |url=http://secretgeek.net/lisp_truth.asp |title=The Truth About Lisp |publisher=Secretgeek.net |date= |accessdate=2010-12-07}}

Other programmers—including Paul Bissex, the co-author of Python Web Development with Django—have described Yegge's blog as "required reading".{{cite web|url=http://news.e-scribe.com/225 |title=E-Scribe News : Required reading: Steve Yegge |publisher=News.e-scribe.com |date=2006-03-06 |accessdate=2010-12-07}}

Upon leaving Google for Grab, Yegge published a 5000-word post in which he critiqued what he claimed is Google's lack of innovation.{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@steve.yegge/why-i-left-google-to-join-grab-86dfffc0be84|title=Why I left Google to join Grab|date=26 January 2018 }}

Yegge accidentally made an internal Google memo public on Google+ in October 2011. His 3,700-word comment garnered major media and blogger attention for Yegge's pointed commentary criticizing the leanings of the company's technological culture (such as labeling Google+'s minimalist and, in his view, lackluster public platform "a pathetic afterthought") as well as for his comments about his former employer, Amazon (such as calling Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos "Dread Pirate Bezos"). Google co-founder Sergey Brin stated that he would still have his job.{{cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Barbara E. |url=http://www.nbcbayarea.com/blogs/press-here/Sergey-Brin-Steve-Yegge-Not-Fired-But-Hes-a-Windbag-132256573.html |title=Google's Sergey Brin: Steve Yegge Not Fired, But He's a Windbag |publisher=NBC Bay Area |date=2011-10-20 |accessdate=2012-08-15}} Washington Post reporter Melissa Bell stated that Yegge's public rant was a Jerry Maguire moment.{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/google-engineer-steve-yegge-has-his-jerry-maguire-moment/2011/10/13/gIQATU1hkL_blog.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Melissa | last=Bell | title=Google engineer Steve Yegge has his Jerry Maguire moment | date=2011-10-14}}

Yegge released the graphical MUD Wyvern in 2001 through his company Cabochon Inc.{{cite web | title=Creation of Wyvern | url= http://www.cabochon.com/contrib.html|website=Cabochon.com | accessdate = 2010-07-23 }}

Yegge advocates server-side JavaScript for development.{{cite web|title=Steve Yegge on Server Side JavaScript|url=http://ajaxian.com/archives/steve-yegge-on-server-side-javascript|date=2008-06-16|publisher=Ajaxian|accessdate=2010-12-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115132114/http://ajaxian.com/archives/steve-yegge-on-server-side-javascript|archive-date=2019-01-15|url-status=unfit}} After failing to convince Google to adopt Ruby on Rails, he ported Rails to JavaScript, creating the "Rhino on Rails" project.{{cite web|title=Steve Yegge Ports Rails to Javascript/Rhino|url=http://www.infoq.com/news/2007/06/yegge-rhino-on-rails|date=|publisher=InfoQ|accessdate=2010-12-07}}{{cite web|title=Podcast #50 - Blog – Stack Overflow|url=http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/04/podcast-50/|last=Atwood|first=Jeff|date=23 April 2009|publisher=Blog.stackoverflow.com|accessdate=2010-12-07}} In 2008, Yegge was interviewed for the Google Code Blog and discussed the "Rhino on Rails" project.{{cite web|title=Google Code Blog: Interview with Steve Yegge on Rhino on Rails and more|url=http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2008/01/interview-with-steve-yegge-on-rhino-on.html|last=Almaer|first=Dion|date=2008-01-29|publisher=Googlecode.blogspot.com|accessdate=2010-12-07}} His work on "Rhino on Rails" has inspired at least one open-source clone, LatteJS.{{cite web|title=esh/latte|url=https://github.com/esh/latte|date=2010-08-02|publisher=GitHub|accessdate=2010-12-07}}

In 2007, Yegge was a speaker at the UIUC 13th annual reflections❘projections Conference. In May 2008, Yegge presented a talk on dynamic languages at Stanford University.{{cite web|title=Stanford University Computer Systems LaboratoryEE380 Colloquium ScheduleAcademic Year 2007–2008|url=http://www.stanford.edu/class/ee380/ay0708.html|date=|publisher=Stanford.edu|accessdate=2010-12-07}} In July 2007, Yegge was a presenter at OSCON 2007, presenting a keynote speech on "How to Ignore Marketing and Become Irrelevant in Two Easy Steps".{{cite web|title=OSCON 2007 - Steve Yegge|url=http://blip.tv/file/319044|publisher=Blip.tv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905053222/http://blip.tv/file/319044|archive-date=2007-09-05|accessdate=2010-12-07}}{{cite web|title=IT Conversations | Open Source Conference from O'Reilly Media | Steve Yegge|url=http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3375.html|date=2007-07-26|publisher=Itc.conversationsnetwork.org|accessdate=2010-12-07}}

Steve Yegge has been cited by many notable figures within the broader programming community, including Stuart Halloway who said: "And I am an enthusiast of Paul Graham and Steve Yegge and other folks that have evangelized Lisp to the rest of the developer community over the years."{{cite web|url=http://www.infoq.com/interviews/stuart_holloway_clojure |title=Stuart Halloway on Clojure and Functional Programming |publisher=InfoQ |date= |accessdate=2010-12-07}} and Don Box who referred to [http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2008/04/xemacs-is-dead-long-live-xemacs.html one of Steve's blog posts] from his own blog: "Had this just been another installment in the GNU-vs-XEmacs soap opera, there'd be nothing to see here. Sandwiched between this however are some observations that I think are relevant to anyone who writes programs (start reading from “the dubious future of emacs“). It's hard to argue with the value of self-hosting. It's even harder to argue with the momentum of the browser and dynamic environments."

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/ Steve Yegge's blog]
• {{Cite web |url=http://www.cabochon.com/ |title=Steve Yegge's MMORPG |access-date=July 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110303090814/http://www.cabochon.com/ |archive-date=March 3, 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |df=mdy-all }}
• [http://sites.google.com/site/steveyegge2/blog-rants Steve Yegge's internal Amazon blog]

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Category:American computer programmers

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