Beauty is Important
February 18th, 2008
I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes today.
Beauty is more important in computing than anywhere else in technology because software is so complicated. Beauty is the ultimate defense against complexity.
— Machine Beauty: Elegance and the Heart of Computing, David Gelernter
August 25th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Okay, I’m stealing that quote. I can’t describe how many ways I’ve pondered it throughout my time in software engineering.
A colleague of mine brought up a decent point to consider though, with the claim that, the best software is right smack in the middle of pragmatic solutions and pure elegance. Too far either way will cost significantly. I can attest to the strife for pure elegance. Being somewhat altruistic, I relate less to pragmatic only solutions. In any case, simplicity rocks the house, no ifs ands or buts.
Greate quote!