🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <T80...@rpi.edu> mcin...@turing.cs.rpi.edu (David McIntyre) writes:
>In article <22...@rex.cs.tulane.edu> keating@rex.UUCP (John W. Keating) writes:
>>At lectures, Grace Hopper used to give out "nanoseconds"...  Short pieces of
>>wire (~ 13") that showed the distance that light traveled in one nanosecond.
>>I've still got one that she handed to my father at an Air Force lecture many
>>years ago.  Apparently, she sounds as if she is a good speaker..  Has she
>>done anything else interesting at any oof her lectures?

>When I saw her lecture in the summer of '85, she still gave out nanoseconds.
>She also gave one to Dave Letterman when on his show.

I heard her in '87.  Still giving out nanoseconds.

>She was trying to stress the
>importance of clear writing in software design.

I agree with the philosophy, but COBOL was still overkill.

>She also made a big point about not letting pointless rules and regs
>get in the way of important work.

The quote I've got from her talk is as follows: "If you want to succeed,
do something even if it makes people mad or nervous.  If it's a good idea,
and if you've walked all around it, go ahead and do it.  It's much easier
to apologize later than get permission."

She also mentioned the clock she had in her office.  It ran counter-clock-
wise.  Her premise was that it was just a clock, it didn't matter which
direction the hands turned, it simply had to tell time.  I've been meaning
to fix a clock to do this someday.

... John