Guess quote

Alan Perlis [1922-1990] American

Rank: 104
Scientist, Computer scientist

Alan Jay Perlis was an American computer scientist and professor at Yale University known for his pioneering work in programming languages and the first recipient of the Turing Award.

Computers, Science, Technology, Attitude, Education, Intelligence, Learning

Quote	Tags	Rank
Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.	Science	101
Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.		102
A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.	Intelligence, Science	103
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.	Education, Learning	104
In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word 'frustration'.	Computers	105
In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm.	Technology	106
If you have a procedure with 10 parameters, you probably missed some.		107
In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages.		108
It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.		109
Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.		110
We toast the Lisp programmer who pens his thoughts within nests of parentheses.		111
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.		112
A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant.		113
If a listener nods his head when you're explaining your program, wake him up.		114
Some programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress.		115
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?		116
LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing.		117
One man's constant is another man's variable.		118
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.		119
There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.		120
You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.	Attitude	121
The computing field is always in need of new cliches.		122
I think it is inevitable that people program poorly. Training will not substantially help matters. We have to learn to live with it.	Technology	123
If your computer speaks English, it was probably made in Japan.	Computers	124
Don't have good ideas if you aren't willing to be responsible for them.		125
Every program has two purposes: The one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.		126
It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.		201

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