Abstraction is a form of data compression: absolutely necessary, because human short-term memory is so small, but the critically important aspect of abstraction is the algorithm that gets you from the name back to the "uncompressed" details. -- Bruce Wilder (blog post comment)

A charlatan makes obscure what is clear; a thinker makes clear what is obscure. -- Hugh Kingsmill

An expert is, according to my working definition "someone who doesn't need to look up answers to easy questions". -- Eric Lippert.

Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you a better programmer for the rest of your days, even if you never actually use Lisp itself a lot. -- Eric S. Raymond

Je ne vous impose aucune contrainte, aucune limite. Surprenez-moi, étonnez-moi, défiez-moi, défiez-vous vous-même. Vous avez le choix: vous pouvez rester dans l'ombre ou en sortir en étant parmis les trop rares exceptions à avoir réussi. L'heure est venue d'aller bien au delà de votre potentiel. L'heure est venue maintenant de descendre vraiment en vous. L'heure est venue de démontrer pourquoi vous êtes l'élite, les quelques élus, les rares lueurs qui offrent à cette compagnie son caractère exceptionnel, sa luminescence. -- Le PDG de NURV, dans "Anti-trust".

Premature abstraction is an equally grevious sin as premature optimization. -- Keith Devens

Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument. ~Anonymous

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. –Michael Jordan

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. ~Bill Gates

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. ~Dale Carnegie