Quote

Because of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches: Banality soothes our nerves.

Alan Perlis

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Alan Perlis
Age: 67 †
Born: 1922
Born: April 1
Died: 1990
Died: February 7
Computer Scientist
Mathematician
University Teacher
Pittsburg
Pennsylvania
Alan Jay Perlis
Alan J. Perlis
Always
Nerves
Desperate
Humorous
Soothes
Field
Cliches
Fields
Banality
Technology
Computing
Need
Cliche
Needs
Vitality

More quotes by Alan Perlis

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Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.
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Learning French is trivial: the word for horse is cheval, and everything else follows in the same way.
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In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages.
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If you have a procedure with 10 parameters, you probably missed some.
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It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and learning to be self-critical?
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One man's constant is another man's variable.
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Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.
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It is better to have 100 functions operate on one data structure than to have 10 functions operate on 10 data structures.
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One can't proceed from the informal to the formal by formal means.
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If a listener nods his head when you're explaining your program, wake him up.
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Any noun can be verbed.
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Some programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress.
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A LISP programmer knows the value of everything, but the cost of nothing.
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You think you KNOW when you learn, are more sure when you can write, even more when you can teach, but certain when you can program.
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Optimization hinders evolution. Everything should be built top-down, except the first time. Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.
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I think it is inevitable that people program poorly. Training will not substantially help matters. We have to learn to live with it.
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A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming is not worth knowing.
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FORTRAN is not a flower but a weed - it is hardy, occasionally blooms, and grows in every computer.
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It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.
Alan Perlis
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Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.
Alan Perlis