Java and C++ make you think that the new ideas are like the old ones. Java is the most distressing thing to hit computing since MS-DOS.
Interpretation
The quote criticizes Java and C++ for their similarities to older programming paradigms and expresses frustration with Java's impact on computing.
Alan Kay's quote reflects his dissatisfaction with Java and C++ as languages that perpetuate outdated programming ideas instead of fostering true innovation. He sees Java as particularly troublesome, comparing its influence to that of MS-DOS, which he views as a negative turning point in the evolution of computing. Kay's assertion suggests that technological progress is hindered when new tools are merely repackaged versions of the old, failing to challenge developers to think differently or creatively.
In practice
In a tech conference discussing programming languages, this quote serves as a critique of outdated practices.
The Internet was done so well that most people think of it as a natural resource like the Pacific Ocean, rather than something that was man-made. When was the last time a technology with a scale like that was so error-free? The Web, in comparison, is a joke. The Web was done by amateurs.
Perspective is worth 80 IQ points.
The greatest single programming language ever designed
By the time I got to school, I had already read a couple hundred books. I knew in the first grade that they were lying to me because I had already been exposed to other points of view. School is basically about one point of view -- the one the teacher has or the textbooks have. They don't like the idea of having different points of view, so it was a battle. Of course I would pipe up with my five-year-old voice.
Simple things should be simple and complex things should be possible.
If you're not failing 90% of the time, then you're probably not working on sufficiently challenging problems.
The technology keeps moving forward, which makes it easier for the artists to tell their stories and paint the pictures they want.
Silicon Valley has evolved a critical mass of engineers and venture capitalists and all the support structure - the law firms, the real estate, all that - that are all actually geared toward being accepting of startups.
I've been very passionate about renewable energy for many years, particularly solar energy and its capacity to bring abundant clean, sustainable energy to millions around the globe.
Certainly there's a phenomenon around open source. You know free software will be a vibrant area. There will be a lot of neat things that get done there.
Facebook says, 'Privacy is theft,' because they're selling your lack of privacy to the advertisers who might show up one day.
If the Net becomes the center of the universe, which is what seems to be happening, then the dizzying array of machines that will be plugged into it will virtually guarantee that the specifics of which chip and which operating system you've got will be irrelevant.
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