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Adapting old programs to fit new machines usually means adapting new machines to behave like old ones.

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
Mean
Programs
Like
Behave
Machines
Fit
Program
Usually
Ones
Adapting
Means
Hardware

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A good programming language is a conceptual universe for thinking about programming.
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In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm.
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In man-machine symbiosis, it is man who must adjust: The machines can't.
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Once you understand how to write a program get someone else to write it.
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If a listener nods his head when you're explaining your program, wake him up.
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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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Learning French is trivial: the word for horse is cheval, and everything else follows in the same way.
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