We control complexity by building abstractions that hide details when appropriate. We control complexity by establishing conventional interfaces that enable us to construct systems by combining standard, well-understood pieces in a ``mix and match'' way. We control complexity by establishing new languages for describing a design, each of which emphasizes particular aspects of the design and deemphasizes others. -- Alan J. Perlis
Simplicity and pragmatism beat complexity and theory any day. -- Dennis (blog comment)
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)
The reason to do animation is caricature. Good caricature picks out the essense of the statement and removes everything else. It's not simply about reproducing reality; It's about bumping it up. -- Brad Bird, writer and director, The Incredibles
Windows NT addresses 2 Gigabytes of RAM, which is more than any application will ever need. -- Microsoft, on the development of Windows NT, 1992
Work as intensely as you play and play as intensely as you work. -- Eric S. Raymond, How To Be A Hacker
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. –Amelia Earhart
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. –Wayne Gretzky
You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them. ~Michael Jordan
It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live. –Mae Jemison