To understand a program, you must become both the machine and the program. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
We toast the Lisp programmer who pens his thoughts within nests of parentheses. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
Every program has two purposes: The one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
FORTRAN is not a flower but a weed - it is hardy, occasionally blooms, and grows in every computer. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
Because of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches: Banality soothes our nerves. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
When someone says, "I want a programming language in which I need only say what I want done," give him a lollipop. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
I think it is inevitable that people program poorly. Training will not substantially help matters. We have to learn to live with… — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
Is it possible that software is not like anything else, that it is meant to be discarded: that the whole point is… — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
It goes against the grain of modern education to teach students to program. What fun is there to making plans, acquiring discipline,… — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an… — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
A good programming language is a conceptual universe for thinking about programming. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
Once you understand how to write a program get someone else to write it. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
A LISP programmer knows the value of everything, but the cost of nothing. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
Some programming languages manage to absorb change, but withstand progress. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
It is better to have 100 functions operate on one data structure than to have 10 functions operate on 10 data structures. — Alan Perlis Copy Share Image
You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot… — Alan Perlis Copy Share
Optimization hinders evolution. Everything should be built top-down, except the first time. Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
A programming language is low level when its programs require attention to the irrelevant. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
When a professor insists computer science is X but not Y, have compassion for his graduate students. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
Every program has two purposes: The one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't. — Alan Perlis Copy Share
