A man who knows his road can occasionally jump off it, whereas a man who does not know his road can only be on it by accident.
— Eric Gill
Programming is an exercise in overcoming how wrong you’ve been in the past. At first you’ll overcome the syntax errors, then you’ll overcome the structural errors, and then you’ll come to align your code with the standards of a greater community and you’ll feel safe and like you’ve made it. You haven’t – you’re still wrong because you’re always wrong. You are playing a game you cannot win. And let’s face it – if it was a game you could win you’d not be playing at all.
— Guy English, “I’ve Been Wrong Before,” Kicking Bear
If you haven’t trashed your computer while doing something questionable, then you’re not a computer scientist – you’re just an arts grad who didn’t get laid.
— Dominic Connor, “CompSci Graduates More Skills,” The Register
No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power.
— P.J. O’Rourke
The price of reliability is simplicity, and for many engineers that is too high a price to pay.
— Unknown
Never underestimate that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world, indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Mead
FWIW the Vegas hotel that flew your live lobster from Maine into a desert would appreciate your reusing your towel. For the environment.
— Merlin Mann
… the internet is a hairy reminder of how utterly mundane everyone’s weirdness really is …
— Salim Virji
Living in SF has made me suspicious of insanely beautiful days. Feels like a magic trick.
— Merlin Mann
Peet’s Coffee should be included in a SF Welcome Bag. Alongside a KQED sticker, a dog, and your newly uncontrollable sense of moral outrage.
— Merlin Mann