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Edsger Dijkstra Quotes


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Quotes by Edsger Dijkstra

Showing 21-26 of 26 Quotes by Edsger Dijkstra

The students that, like the wild animal being prepared for its tricks in the circus called 'life', expects only training as sketched above, will be severely disappointed: by his standards he will learn next to nothing.

~Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Above Animal Being Being Prepared Circus Disappointed Expects He His Learn Life Like Next Nothing Only Prepared Standards Students Training Tricks Wild Will

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The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.

~Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Computer Interesting More Question Submarine Swim Than Think Whether

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APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection. It is the language of the future for the programming techniques of the past: it creates a new generation of coding bums.

~Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Bums Carried Creates Future Generation Language Mistake New New Generation Past Perfection Programming Techniques Through

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About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt axe. It is equally vain to try to do it with ten blunt axes instead.

~Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: About Axe Blunt Equally Impossible Instead Language Pencil Sharpen Ten Try Use Vain

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If 10 years from now, when you are doing something quick and dirty, you suddenly visualize that I am looking over your shoulders and say to yourself: 'Dijkstra would not have liked this', well that would be enough immortality for me.

~Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Am Dirty Doing Enough Immortality Liked Looking Me Now Over Quick Say Shoulders Something Suddenly Visualize Well Would Years You Your Yourself I Am

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I mentioned the non-competitive spirit explicitly, because these days, excellence is a fashionable concept. But excellence is a competitive notion, and that is not what we are heading for: we are heading for perfection.

~Edsger Dijkstra

Topics: Because Competitive Concept Days Excellence Explicitly Fashionable Heading Mentioned Notion Perfection Spirit

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Biography

Nationality: Dutch

Type: Scientist

Born: May 11th, 1930

Died: August 6th, 2002

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