Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should therefore be regarded as a criminal offense.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Program testing can be a very effective way to show the presence of bugs, but is hopelessly inadequate for showing their absence.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Besides a mathematical inclination, an exceptionally good mastery of one's native tongue is the most vital asset of a competent programmer.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He therefore approaches his task with full humility, and avoids clever tricks like the plague.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Do only what only you can do
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
The prisoner falls in love with his chains.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
If in physics there's something you don't understand, you can always hide behind the uncharted depths of nature. You can always blame God. You didn't make it so complex yourself. But if your program doesn't work, there is no one to hide behind. You cannot hide behind an obstinate nature. If it doesn't work, you've messed up.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
When there were no computers programming was no problem. When we had a few weak computers, it became a mild problem. Now that we have gigantic computers, programming is a gigantic problem.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
The required techniques of effective reasoning are pretty formal, but as long as programming is done by people that don't master them, the software crisis will remain with us and will be considered an incurable disease. And you know what incurable diseases do: they invite the quacks and charlatans in, who in this case take the form of Software Engineering gurus.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
You must not give the world what it asks for, but what it needs.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
We must not put mistakes into programs because of sloppyness, we have to do it systematical and with care.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
I realized that my prior projects were just finger warm-ups. Now I have to tackle complexity itself. But it took long, before I had assembled the courage to do so.
-- Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
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