Quote

One can only display complex information in the mind. Like seeing, movement or flow or alteration of view is more important than the static picture, no matter how lovely.

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
Seeing
Complex
Matter
Lovely
Important
Picture
Mind
Flow
Alteration
Like
View
Alterations
Movement
Static
Views
Display
Information
Complexes

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A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant.
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In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages.
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Programmers are not to be measured by their ingenuity and their logic but by the completeness of their case analysis.
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A LISP programmer knows the value of everything, but the cost of nothing.
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One man's constant is another man's variable.
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When someone says, I want a programming language in which I need only say what I want done, give him a lollipop.
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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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Because of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches: Banality soothes our nerves.
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When a professor insists computer science is X but not Y, have compassion for his graduate students.
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The best book on programming for the layman is Alice in Wonderland, but that's because it's the best book on anything for the layman.
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In man-machine symbiosis, it is man who must adjust: The machines can't.
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We toast the Lisp programmer who pens his thoughts within nests of parentheses.
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There are two ways to write error-free programs only the third one works.
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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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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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In computing, the mean time to failure keeps getting shorter.
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You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.
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