Alan Perlis Quotes

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

Adequately Any Describe Hardly Only Picture Picture Is Worth Pictures Sets Those Words Worth

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A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant.

~ Alan Perlis

Attention Irrelevant Language Level Low Programming Programming Language Programs Require

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A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.

~ Alan Perlis

Artificial Artificial Intelligence Believe Enough God Intelligence Make Spent Year

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Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.

~ Alan Perlis

Computer Computer Science Embarrassed Science

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Don't have good ideas if you aren't willing to be responsible for them.

~ Alan Perlis

Good Good Ideas Ideas Responsible Them Willing You

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Every program has two purposes: The one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.

~ Alan Perlis

Another Every Program Purposes Two Which Written

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Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.

~ Alan Perlis

Avoid Complexity Fools Geniuses Ignore Remove Some Suffer

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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

Help I Think Inevitable Learn Live Matters People Poorly Program Substantially Think Training Will

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If a listener nods his head when you're explaining your program, wake him up.

~ Alan Perlis

Explaining Head Him His Listener Program Up Wake You Your

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If you have a procedure with 10 parameters, you probably missed some.

~ Alan Perlis

Missed Parameters Procedure Some You

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If your computer speaks English, it was probably made in Japan.

~ Alan Perlis

Computer English Japan Made Speaks Your

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In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word "frustration".

~ Alan Perlis

Computing Definition Frustration Living Obvious Turning Useful Word

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In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages.

~ Alan Perlis

English Every Languages Our Programming Were Word Would

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In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm.

~ Alan Perlis

Bird Early Early Bird Makes Often Software Systems Worm

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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?

~ Alan Perlis

Always Anything Anything Else Bubble Discarded Else Like Meant Meant To Be Point Possible See Soap Software Whole

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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

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It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.

~ Alan Perlis

Change Easier Fit Program Specification Than Versa Vice Vice Versa

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It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.

~ Alan Perlis

Correct Easier Incorrect Program Than Understand Write

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LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing.

~ Alan Perlis

Cost Everything Know Nothing Programmers Value

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One man's constant is another man's variable.

~ Alan Perlis

Another Constant Man Variable

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AuthorName

Alan Perlis

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BirthDate

01 April, 1922

DeathDate

07 February, 1990

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