Quote

Computer programming is an art, because it applies accumulated knowledge to the world, because it requires skill and ingenuity, and especially because it produces objects of beauty. A programmer who subconsciously views himself as an artist will enjoy what he does and will do it better.

Donald Knuth

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Donald Knuth
Age: 86
Born: 1938
Born: January 10
Academic
Computer Scientist
Engineer
Historian Of Mathematics
Mathematician
Programmer
University Teacher
Writer
Milwaukee City
Wisconsin
Donald E. Knuth
Don Knuth
Donald Ervin Knuth
D.E.K.
DEK
Knuth
Better
Especially
Produces
World
Views
Programming
Beauty
Skill
Programmer
Knowledge
Requires
Subconsciously
Enjoy
Skills
Accumulated
Artist
Computer
Applies
Art
Objects
Programmers
Doe
Produce
Ingenuity

More quotes by Donald Knuth

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TeX has found at least one bug in every Pascal compiler it's been run on, I think, and at least two in every C compiler
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Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random
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How can you own numbers? Numbers belong to the world.
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My general working style is to write everything first with pencil and paper, sitting beside a big wastebasket. Then I use Emacs to enter the text into my machine.
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Let us change our traditional attitude to the construction of programs. Instead of imagining that our main task is to instruct a computer what to do, let us concentrate rather on explaining to human beings what we want a computer to do.
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I can’t go to a restaurant and order food because I keep looking at the fonts on the menu.
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We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3%
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We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.
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Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind.
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Programming is legitimate and necessary academic endeavour.
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A mathematical formula should never be owned by anybody! Mathematics belong to God.
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The psychological profiling [of a programmer] is mostly the ability to shift levels of abstraction, from low level to high level. To see something in the small and to see something in the large.
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A list is only as strong as its weakest link.
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The manuals we got from IBM would show examples of programs and I knew I could do a heck of a lot better than that. So I thought I might have some talent.
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People think that computer science is the art of geniuses but the actual reality is the opposite, just many people doing things that build on each other, like a wall of mini stones.
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I think people who write programs do have at least a glimmer of extra insight into the nature of God... because creating a program often means that you have to create a small universe
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The enjoyment of one's tools is an essential ingredient of successful work.
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The best practice is inspired by theory.
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It is much more rewarding to do more with less.
Donald Knuth
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Meta-design is much more difficult than design it's easier to draw something than to explain how to draw it.
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