paul graham has written an essay called great hackers in which he speaks much wisdom.
peter seebach maintains an excellent hacker faq for managers who don't understand how to deal with hackers. if peter's site doesn't respond, the following excite search should find a copy.
there is a document called how to be a programmer that is an excellent complement to this one. it has valuable advice not just about coding and skillsets, but about how to function on a programming team.
i have also written a brief history of hackerdom.
i have written a paper, the cathedral and the bazaar, which explains a lot about how the linux and open-source cultures work. i have addressed this topic even more directly in its sequel homesteading the noosphere.
rick moen has written an excellent document on how to run a linux user group.
rick moen and i have collaborated on another document on how to ask smart questions. this will help you seek assistance in a way that makes it more likely that you will actually get it.
if you need instruction in the basics of how personal computers, unix, and the internet work, see the unix and internet fundamentals howto.
when you release software or write patches for software, try to follow the guidelines in the software release practice howto.
if you enjoyed the zen poem, you might also like rootless root: the unix koans of master foo.
