Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. -- William Strunk, Jr. (The Elements of Style)

Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight. -- Bill Gates

Hence my urgent advice to all of you to reject the morals of the bestseller society and to find, to start with, your reward in your own fun. This is quite feasible, for the challenge of simplification is so fascinating that, if we do our job properly, we shall have the greatest fun in the world. -- E. W. Dijkstra, On the nature of computing science.

One of the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire was that–lacking zero–they had no way to indicate successful termination of their C programs. -- Robert Firth

Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter. -- Eric Raymond

Everybody makes their own fun. If you don't make it yourself, it ain't fun -- it's entertainment. -- David Mamet (as relayed by Joss Whedon)

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. –Lao Tzu

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. –Mark Twain

Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. –Albert Einstein

Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. ~Albert Einstein