What's your favourite quote about programming? [closed]

Question

What's your favourite quote about programming?

One quote per answer, and please check for duplicates before posting!

Answer 1

The best indication of software quality is consistent indentation

I read this when I was following up footnotes in SICP once but I've not been able to find it since, so a) I can't attribute it and b) I am writing from memory, and more than likely paraphrasing. I have, however, found it to be true.

Answer 2

Release early. Release often. -- Eric S. Raymond

Answer 3

Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.

-Robert Heinlein

Answer 4

Minimal Functionality to the desktop as soon as possible.

Answer 5

As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information.
  — Benjamin Disraeli

Answer 6

The whole history of this invention has been a struggle against time.
  — Charles Babbage on the Analytical Engine, 1837

Answer 7

Skill Appreciates Skill

(Or, It Takes One to Know One)

I have often felt that programming is an art form,
whose real value can only be appreciated
by another versed in the same arcane art;
there are lovely gems and brilliant coups
hidden from human view and admiration, sometimes forever,
by the very nature of the process.
You can learn a lot about an individual
just by reading through his code, even in hexadecimal.

From The Story of Mel, a Real Programmer (free verse version)

I had no idea there was actually a short Wikipedia article with links to both prose and verse versions of the story, along with other information.

Answer 8

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

(Keep it simple, stupid)

Years ago I ran across a poster that had the Latin expression with the English translation under it.

Answer 9

Keep it Simple!

Answer 10

"Real programmers don't see code, they see trees."

Answer 11

Programmers don't quit, they just go offline. :)

Answer 12

XML is like violence - if it doesn’t solve your problems, you are not using enough of it.

Answer 13

Programming is an art form that fights back

-- Unknown

Note: especially when you're oncall...

Answer 14

True story:

I was doing a project for school in c++ and needless to say there was some compiler wrestling. As I got more pissed of I started naming my test functions shit with fuck variants for variables. At some point to every-bodies amusement I yelled "Why isn't this fuck pointing to shit?!?!?"

Answer 15

Impossible is Nothing

Although belongs to Adidas, but fits Software development well.

Answer 16

Comments in code are like sex. When they are good -- it's very, very good. But when they are bad, they are better than nothing.

-- Anonymous