Aim for brevity while avoiding jargon.

Besides a mathematical inclination, an exceptionally good mastery of one's native tongue is the most vital asset of a competent programmer.

I would therefore like to posit that computing's central challenge, how not to make a mess of it, has not yet been met.

Brainpower is by far our scarcest resource.

Don't blame me for the fact that competent programming, as I view it as an intellectual possibility, will be too difficult for the average programmer, you must not fall into the trap of rejecting a surgical technique because it is beyond the capabilities of the barber in his shop around the corner.

Teaching COBOL ought to be regarded as a criminal act.

If we wish to count lines of code, we should not regard them as "lines produced" but as "lines spent."