All Alan Perlis Quotes
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.
Alan Perlis
60% of people like this quote
Every program has two purposes: The one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.
Alan Perlis
60% of people like this quote
We toast the Lisp programmer who pens his thoughts within nests of parentheses.
Alan Perlis
54% of people like this quote
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.
Alan Perlis
53% of people like this quote
In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm.
Alan Perlis
53% of people like this quote
It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.
Alan Perlis
52% of people like this quote
I think it is inevitable that people program poorly. Training will not substantially help matters. We have to learn to live with it.
Alan Perlis
50% of people like this quote
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.
Alan Perlis
48% of people like this quote
If your computer speaks English, it was probably made in Japan.
Alan Perlis
47% of people like this quote
Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.
Alan Perlis
46% of people like this quote
LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing.
Alan Perlis
44% of people like this quote
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