Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. — Edsger Dijkstra Astronomy Copy Share Image
Thank goodness we don't have only serious problems, but ridiculous ones as well. — Edsger Dijkstra Goodness Copy Share Image
Mentally mutilated potential programmers beyond hope of regeneration. — Edsger Dijkstra Hope Copy Share Image
Perfecting oneself is as much unlearning as it is learning. — Edsger Dijkstra Learning Copy Share Image
Mathematicians are like managers - they want improvement without change. — Edsger Dijkstra Change Copy Share Image
About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt axe. It is equally vain to try… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim. — Edsger Dijkstra Computers Copy Share Image
There is very little point in trying to urge the world to mend its ways as long as that world is still… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Industry suffers from the managerial dogma that for the sake of stability and continuity, the company should be independent of the competence… — Edsger Dijkstra Business Copy Share Image
Too few people recognize that the high technology so celebrated today is essentially a mathematical technology. — Edsger Dijkstra High technology Copy Share Image
The problems of the real world are primarily those you are left with when you refuse to apply their effective solutions. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Several people have told me that my inability to suffer fools gladly is one of my main weaknesses. — Edsger Dijkstra Fool Copy Share Image
It is not the task of the University to offer what society asks for, but to give what society needs. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
Lisp has jokingly been called "the most intelligent way to misuse a computer". I think that description is a great compliment because… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
How do we convince people that in programming simplicity and clarity - in short: what mathematicians call elegance - are not a… — Edsger Dijkstra Beauty Copy Share Image
I think of the company advertising "Thought Processors" or the college pretending that learning BASIC suffices or at least helps, whereas the… — Edsger Dijkstra Advertising Copy Share Image
LISP has jokingly been described as "the most intelligent way to misuse a computer." I think that description is a great compliment… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they… — Edsger Dijkstra Exposure Copy Share Image
The traditional mathematician recognizes and appreciates mathematical elegance when he sees it. I propose to go one step further, and to consider… — Edsger Dijkstra Beauty Copy Share Image
When we take the position that it is not only the programmer's responsibility to produce a correct program but also to demonstrate… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
We shall do a much better programming job, provided that we approach the task with a full appreciation of its tremendous difficulty,… — Edsger Dijkstra Appreciation Copy Share Image
Computer science has as much to do with computers as astronomy has to do with telescopes. — Edsger Dijkstra Astronomy Copy Share Image
The computing scientist's main challenge is not to get confused by the complexities of his own making. — Edsger Dijkstra Challenges Copy Share Image
Object-oriented programming is an exceptionally bad idea which could only have originated in California. — Edsger Dijkstra Bad idea Copy Share Image
Much of the excitement we get out of our work is that we don't really know what we are doing. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection. It is the language of the future for the programming techniques of the past:… — Edsger Dijkstra Coding Copy Share Image
The ability of discerning high quality unavoidably implies the ability of identifying shortcomings. — Edsger Dijkstra Ability Copy Share Image
The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely… — Edsger Dijkstra Abstraction Copy Share Image
Probably I am very naive, but I also think I prefer to remain so, at least for the time being and perhaps… — Edsger Dijkstra Life Copy Share Image
The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offense. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He therefore approaches his task with full humility,… — Edsger Dijkstra Clever Copy Share Image
Programming is one of the most difficult branches of applied mathematics; the poorer mathematicians had better remain pure mathematicians. — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
If we wish to count lines of code, we should not regard them as 'lines produced' but as 'lines spent.' — Edsger Dijkstra Code Copy Share Image
Thanks to the greatly improved possibility of communication, we overrate its importance. Even stronger, we underrate the importance of isolation. — Edsger Dijkstra Communication Copy Share Image
In the software business there are many enterprises for which it is not clear that science can help them; that science should… — Edsger Dijkstra Business Copy Share Image
If you want more effective programmers, you will discover that they should not waste their time debugging, they should not introduce the… — Edsger Dijkstra Bugs Copy Share Image
Production speed is severely slowed down if one works with half-time people who have other obligations as well. This is at least… — Edsger Dijkstra Copy Share Image
