Alan Perlis Quotes

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

Ignore, Avoid, Fools

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

Science, God, Enough

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

Technology, Often, Makes

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

Best, Book, Alice

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

Technology, Live, Help

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

Computers, Living, Word

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

Words, Worth, Picture

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

Attention, Language, Level

Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.
Alan Perlis

Science, Computer

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

Good, Ideas, Willing

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

Two, Another, Written

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

Him, Head, Wake

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

Missed, Procedure, Parameters

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

Computers, Made, English

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

Word, English, Languages

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

Else, Whole, Point

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

Education, Learning, Fun

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

Change, Fit, Vice

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

Understand, Write, Correct

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

Nothing, Everything, Value

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

Another, Constant, Variable

Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.
Alan Perlis

Simplicity, Complexity, Follows

Some programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress.
Alan Perlis

Change, Progress, Languages

The computing field is always in need of new cliches.
Alan Perlis

Cliches, Computing, Field

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.
Alan Perlis

Two, Write, Ways

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Scientist

Born: April 1, 1922

Died: February 7, 1990

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