It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.

In man-machine symbiosis, it is man who must adjust: The machines can't.

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.

To understand a program, you must become both the machine and the program.

In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word "frustration".

It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and learning to be self-critical?

I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot of fun. Of course, the paying customers got shafted every now and then, and after a while we began to take their complaints seriously. We began to feel as if we really were responsible for the successful, error-free perfect use of these machines. I don't think we are. I think we're responsible for stretching them, setting them off in new directions, and keeping fun in the house. I hope the field of computer science never loses its sense of fun.