The venerable master Qc Na was walking with his student, Anton. Hoping to prompt the master into a discussion, Anton said "Master, I have heard that objects are a very good thing - is this true?" Qc Na looked pityingly at his student and replied, "Foolish pupil - objects are merely a poor man's closures." Chastised, Anton took his leave from his master and returned to his cell, intent on studying closures. He carefully read the entire "Lambda: The Ultimate..." series of papers and its cousins, and implemented a small Scheme interpreter with a closure-based object system. He learned much, and looked forward to informing his master of his progress. On his next walk with Qc Na, Anton attempted to impress his master by saying "Master, I have diligently studied the matter, and now understand that objects are truly a poor man's closures." Qc Na responded by hitting Anton with his stick, saying "When will you learn? Closures are a poor man's object." At that moment, Anton became enlightened. -- Anton van Straaten (Na = Norman Adams, Qa = Christian Queinnec)

Good programmers use their brains, but good guidelines save us having to think out every case. -- Francis Glassborow

Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live. -- Martin Golding

There really is no learning without doing. -- Roger Schank, Engines for Education

The only problems we can really solve in a satisfactory manner are those that finally admit a nicely factored solution. -- E. W. Dijkstra, The humble programmer

Linux is only free if your time has no value. -- Jamie Zawinski

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. –Robert Frost

Teach thy tongue to say, I do not know, and thous shalt progress. –Maimonides

The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same. ~Colin R. Davis

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you. ~Lolly Daskal