YTechnology

  I first heard of Dijkstra from one of his quotes condemning the BASIC programming language: " It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration. " I couldn't help but smile, and while I easily agreed, I wanted to know more about his thinking.  Dijkstra's full essay can be found in his book Selected Writings On Computing: A Personal Perspective . (See chapter EWD498, or go online .)  Titled "How Do We Tell Truths that Might Hurt?" his criticism extended to other languages such as FORTRAN and COBOL, and even to PL/I, a language I sort of liked :  "PL/I —'the fatal disease' — belongs more to the problem set than to the solution set." Ouch. Dijkstra's tone was understated humor -- less to make you laugh and more to have you reevaluate some of the norms in computer science. Keep in mind that this essay ...

I graduated Cornell in 1982, but it was Frank H.T. Rhodes' words from his 1987 commencement speech that I remember most: "I hope that zest for living, and for giving yourself to others, will accompany you on the continuing journey. For if you mortgage all your todays for some vague and gossamer tomorrow, you may find, in the end, that life's greatest joys and satisfactions have eluded you. As you continue life's journey, I encourage you to ride more merry-go-rounds and eat more ice cream. That does not mean a life of hedonism, but it does mean a life lived in the present, which is the only time we have." I was a serious student, and now feel I should have explored more of my surroundings and availed myself more to the resources at Cornell.   Frank Rhodes created programs and opportunities for his students, and I benefitted unknowingly.   I've written about Cornell here , and how I worked with Penny Rhodes one summer at Uris Library, albeit unknowin...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, ... it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair ... Sundial outside Goldwin Smith Hall Sundial in the Engineering Quad With apologies to Charles Dickens, I am writing about two sundials on Cornell's campus. One is outside Goldwin Smith Hall in the Arts Quad while the other is in the Engineering Quad. As an undergrad, I didn't pay much attention to either of these works of art.  Apparently, neither do current students as they hurried past me while I was taking pictures. But these two sun dials merit contemplation.  One is from the past, and with the gravitas that a layer of patina brings, provokes thoughts of time and mortality. The other looks outward, and with modern, shiny arms, seeks to embrace a future where the sky's the limit. When family and friends talk about college, and when college bound students ask me what they should s...

Cornell Arts Quad "It's up to you to save the world.  Our generation messed up." said an older person to no one in particular. I graduated in 1982 with a degree in Chemistry.  As is tradition at Cornell, there were no hired inspirational speakers.  The send-off was given -- more appropriately, I think -- by the then university president Frank H.T. Rhodes.   The economy was in rough shape, but President Rhodes nevertheless emphasized the importance of setting great goals and finding meaning in service and leadership. I found a portion of his speech in the NY Times .  My graduating class had 4,200 students, and President Rhodes was a distant figure.  Yet, we were separated by one degree. One summer, I had a job at Uris Library doing general inventory, cataloging, and shelving.  I learned this library was steward to a very special collection: all the issues, from number one with Marilyn Monroe on the cover, to the present, of Playboy Magazine....