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Alan Kay Quotes


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Quotes by Alan Kay

Showing 11-20 of 25 Quotes by Alan Kay

Perspective is worth 80 IQ points.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Perspective Points Worth Iq

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Social thinking requires very exacting thresholds to be powerful. For example, we've had social thinking for 200,000 years, and hardly anything happened that could be considered progress over most of that time. This is because what is most pervasive about social thinking is 'how to get along and mutually cope.'

~Alan Kay

Topics: About Along Anything Because Considered Cope Could Example For Example Get Had Happened Hardly How Most Mutually Over Pervasive Powerful Progress Requires Social Thinking Time Very Years

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Science requires a society because even people who are trying to be good thinkers love their own thoughts and theories - much of the debugging has to be done by others.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Because Done Even Good Love Much Others Own People Requires Science Society Theories Thinkers Thoughts Trying Who

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I had the fortune or misfortune to learn how to read fluently starting at the age of three. So I had read maybe 150 books by the time I hit 1st grade. And I already knew that the teachers were lying to me.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Age Books By The Time Fortune Grade Had Hit How Knew Learn Lying Maybe Me Misfortune Read Starting Teachers Three Time Were

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When I first got to Apple, which was in '84, the Mac was already out, and 'Newsweek' contacted me and asked me what I thought of the Mac. I said, 'Well, the Mac is the first personal computer good enough to be criticized.'

~Alan Kay

Topics: Apple Asked Computer Criticized Enough First Good Got Mac Me Out Personal Said Thought Well Which

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There is the desire of a consumer society to have no learning curves. This tends to result in very dumbed-down products that are easy to get started on, but are generally worthless and/or debilitating.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Consumer Curves Debilitating Desire Easy Generally Get Learning Products Result Society Started Tends Very Worthless

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Steve was perfectly aware of the Dynabook. That was one of the reasons he wanted me to come to Apple.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Apple Aware Come He Me Perfectly Reasons Steve Wanted

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In the old days, you would chastise people for reinventing the wheel. Now we beg, 'Oh, please, please reinvent the wheel.'

~Alan Kay

Topics: Beg Days Now Oh Old Old Days People Please Reinvent Reinvent The Wheel Reinventing Wheel Would You

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Having an intelligent secretary does not get rid of the need to read, write, and draw, etc. In a well functioning world, tools and agents are complementary.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Agents Complementary Does Draw Etc Get Having Intelligent Need Read Rid Secretary Tools Well World Write

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I've been a Fellow in a number of companies: Xerox, Apple, Disney, HP. There are certain similarities because all the Fellows programs were derived from IBM's, which itself was derived from the MIT 'Institute Professor' program.

~Alan Kay

Topics: Apple Because Been Certain Companies Derived Disney Fellow Fellows Institute Itself Mit Number Professor Program Programs Similarities Were Which Xerox Ibm

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Scientist

Born: May 17th, 1940

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