Ken Thompson

One of my most productive days was throwing away 1000 lines of code.

When in doubt, use brute force.

You can't trust code that you did not totally create yourself. (Especially the operating system.)

The only way to do a good job is to love what you do.

If you have to type something more than once, write a program to do it.

The most important property of a program is whether it accomplishes the intention of its user.

We are not trying to make a system that is all things to all people.

The design of the UNIX system was an attempt to make a system that was easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to modify.

The UNIX operating system is a simple, elegant, and powerful system.

The UNIX philosophy is to write programs that do one thing and do it well.

The UNIX philosophy is to write programs that work together.

The UNIX philosophy is to write programs that handle text streams, because that is a universal interface.

The UNIX system is a collection of simple tools that can be combined in powerful ways.

The UNIX system is a testament to the power of simplicity.

The UNIX system was designed by programmers for programmers.

The UNIX system is a living system, constantly evolving and improving.

The UNIX system is a triumph of engineering.

The UNIX system is a model for future operating systems.

The UNIX system is a testament to the power of collaboration.

The UNIX system is a gift to the computing world.