Radia Perlman
Often called the 'Mother of the Internet' for her invention of the Spanning Tree Protocol.
Most quoted
"We build systems that are incredibly complex, and then we're surprised when they fail. It's like building a house of cards and being surprised when it falls down."
— from Conference talk
"The Internet is a testament to the fact that if you give people enough rope, they'll hang themselves... and then complain about the rope."
— from Talk/Presentation
"The Spanning Tree Protocol is a testament to the fact that you can't always get what you want, but you can always get what you need."
— from Various interviews and talks
All quotes by Radia Perlman (341)
Privacy in the digital age is paramount.
Computer science teaches us to think systematically.
The joy of coding is in the creation.
Challenges in tech build character.
Redundancy isn't failure; it's resilience.
I've always preferred questions over answers.
A witty remark: 'If networking were easy, everyone would do it.'
Legacy is in the protocols that last.
Empower women in STEM for a better world.
The essence of my career: connect and protect.
The Internet is a collection of networks that don't trust each other, but they all agree to forward packets.
I'm a computer scientist, not a computer engineer. I don't care about the hardware, I care about the algorithms.
The problem with security is that it's a negative. You don't get credit for things that don't happen.
If you want to make something secure, you have to make it simple.
The biggest problem with the Internet is that it was designed by academics, not by engineers.
The Internet is a wonderful thing, but it's also a very dangerous thing.
The Spanning Tree Protocol is like a tree that grows in the forest, but it's a very complicated tree.
The Spanning Tree Protocol is not a protocol for building a network, it's a protocol for preventing loops in a network.
The Spanning Tree Protocol is like a safety net. It's there to catch you when you fall.
The Spanning Tree Protocol is a necessary evil.
Contemporaries of Radia Perlman
Other Computer Sciences born within 50 years of Radia Perlman (1951).