Heidi recently wrote an entry in praise of messiness
in science,
which set me thinking about messiness in
mathematics and in computing. While reading some of Dijkstra's old
writings, I came across this tidbit, which seemed apropos:
We should never forget that programmers live in a world of artifacts, a fact that distinguishes them from most other scientists. A programmer should not ask how applicable the techniques of sound programming are, he should create a world in which they are applicable; it is his only way of delivering a high-quality design. To which I should add a quotation from EWD898 (1984)
Machine capacities now give us room galore for making a mess of it. Opportunities unlimited for fouling things up! Developing the austere intellectual discipline of keeping things simple is in this environment a formidable challenge, both technically and educationally.FromAnswers to questions from students of Software Engineering(EWD1305)
Prof. Edsger W. Dijkstra
- Currently drinking: Coffee