Brian Kernighan Quotes

I majored in Computer Science at U.C. Berkeley and worked as a software developer for a couple of years. Then I taught high school computer science for over a decade and a half in Oakland, California.

Hackathons are these things where just all of the Facebook engineers get together and stay up all night building things. And, I mean, usually at these hackathons, I code too, just alongside everyone.

Software is a great combination between artistry and engineering.

I like writing code. I like building product. I like making things that people like.

I took a break after 'Confessions.' I was real picky. And then I suddenly realized I hadn't worked in a year. And I was sort of, like, not really happy. I think people are happier when they have structure, you know? You realize that as you get older. You have to have rituals and structure.

When you learn to code, it opens up for you to learn many other things.

The computer offers another kind of creativity. You cannot ignore the creativity that computer technology can bring. But you need to be able to move between those two different worlds.

With 'Scratch,' we want to let kids to be the creators. We want them to create interesting, dynamic things on the computer.

My duty as a teacher is to train, educate future programmers.

I love working with kids and helping others, so I feel like a career in teaching would be perfect.

The worst thing we can do is graduate kids who aren't prepared for the real world.

We're the toolmakers. Our developers are the real creative geniuses.

Every day, teachers across the country excite their students with new opportunities and experiences.

I think everyone should learn how to code.

It's [programming] the only job I can think of where I get to be both an engineer and an artist. There's an incredible, rigorous, technical element to it, which I like because you have to do very precise thinking. On the other hand, it has a wildly creative side where the boundaries of imagination are the only real limitation.

Computer science needs to be part of the core curriculum - like algebra, biology, physics, or chemistry. We need all schools to teach it, not just 10%.

[Computing] is just a fabulous place for that, because it's a place where you don't have to be a Ph.D. or anything else. It's a place where you can still be an artisan. People are willing to pay you if you're any good at all, and you have plenty of time for screwing around.

Only in high school when I began programming computers, did I become interested in tech and start-ups, which led me to attend Stanford and major in Computer Science.

I don't think you should want everything at work, because home life is so important, and much more nourishing for your soul. One day work will end.

You can't be 'on' everyday, no one is a hit machine all the time. But if you're loving the music it will happen. It shouldn't be laborious.

As technologists, we all write code.

When you walk into my classroom, I'm going to give it to you straight, just like in the real world, because that's the only way to prepare you for the real world.

I'm just a little artsy-fartsy computer dude.

The programmers of tomorrow are the wizards of the future.