Alan Perlis Quotes


If your computer speaks English, it was probably made in Japan. Alan Perlis Computer 109
Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it. Alan Perlis Avoid 102
In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word frustration. Alan Perlis Computer 89
If you have a procedure with 10 parameters, you probably missed some. Alan Perlis Missed 87
Some programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress. Alan Perlis Absorb 80
A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God. Alan Perlis Science 79
In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages. Alan Perlis English 78
There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works. Alan Perlis Programs 76
A picture is worth 10K words - but only those to describe the picture. Hardly any sets of 10K words can be adequately described with pictures. Alan Perlis Adequately 75
LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing. Alan Perlis Cost 74
Programmers are not to be measured by their ingenuity and their logic but by the completeness of their case analysis. Alan Perlis Debugging 68
In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm. Alan Perlis Technology 59
Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it. Alan Perlis Complexity 58
We toast the Lisp programmer who pens his thoughts within nests of parentheses. Alan Perlis Lisp 52
The computing field is always in need of new cliches. Alan Perlis Cliches 51
I think it is inevitable that people program poorly. Training will not substantially help matters. We have to learn to live with it. Alan Perlis Technology 45
It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa. Alan Perlis Change 39
It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one. Alan Perlis Correct 36
A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant. Alan Perlis Attention 36
Is it possible that software is not like anything else, that it is meant to be discarded: that the whole point is to always see it as a soap bubble? Alan Perlis Anything 35
Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer. Alan Perlis Science 33
It goes against the grain of modern education to teach students to program. What fun is there to making plans, acquiring discipline, organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail, and learning to be self critical. Alan Perlis Education 30
Dealing with failure is easy Work hard to improve. Success is also easy to handle Youve solved the wrong problem. Work hard to improve. Alan Perlis Failure 24

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Alan Perlis Quotes

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