Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers,comp.software-eng,comp.society.folklore
From: "Dave W. Smith" 
Subject: Re: Hoare or Weinberg
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 00:05:13 GMT

John Atwood wrote:
> John Ahlstrom   wrote:
> >Looking for the exact text of a quote from Gerry Weinberg
> >       (Yes, but your program doesn't work.  If mine doesn't have
> >       to work it can run instantly and take no memory.")
> 
> pg. 18-19 of "Psych of Computer Programming", Weinberg quotes a programmer

It's a great quote on its own, and works even better in context,
because it is still so very true, even though cards have long
since been replaced, and hardware has gotten a wee bit faster:

"And how long does your program take?" he asked--emphasizing the
possessive. 

"That varies with the input," was the reply, "but on average,
about ten seconds per card." 

"Aha," was the triumphant reply. "But my program takes only
one second per card." 

The members of the audience--who had, after all, all contributed
to the one-second version--seemed relieved. But our hero, who
was rather young and naive, was not put down by this remark.
Instead, he calmly observed, "But your program doesn't work. If
the program doesn't have to work, I can write one that takes one
millisecond per card--and that's faster than our card reader."

Dave