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About this quote

What does it mean?
Lispers focus on expressiveness rather than efficiency or cost.
In plain terms
Lisp programmers value power over optimization.
What can you take from it?
Choose languages based on values.

Where it applies

  • language selection
  • team culture
  • project planning

Putting it to work

  • value expressivity
  • balance tradeoffs

Questions to consider

  • What do you prioritize?
  • Is cost ever important?

Another view

Efficiency often matters in production.

More from Alan Perlis

  1. It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.

    Permalink to quote #18
  2. One man's constant is another man's variable.

    Permalink to quote #20
  3. It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.

    Permalink to quote #17

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