Cost Quote by Alan Perlis
“A LISP programmer knows the value of everything, but the cost of nothing.”
About This Quote
Source Quote: Likely from a talk or article on programming, date unknown
A LISP programmer values all data equally, yet may overlook the cost of computation.
In simple terms: Programmers value data but ignore computational cost.
Key Takeaway
Balance data value with performance considerations.
Themes
programming
efficiency
value assessment
Mood
analytical
practical
Type
technical
educational
When to use this quote
- software development
- algorithm optimization
- educational settings
Key Concepts
LISP
computational cost
software design
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess the cost of a data structure?
- When should performance outweigh completeness?
A Different Perspective
Focusing solely on data can lead to inefficient code.
![“[Photography is ] likewise even French impressionists. So the Sculls bought pop. It was politics, and they moved with it. And I think that could be happening, to some degree, with photography, too. It doesn't cost as much to do it, either.” quote by Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2eb/garry-winogrand-2342_cost_photography-is-likewise-even-french-impr_2802.jpg)
