The most important influence throughout was of course Wirth’s insistence on simplicity of design, which finally seems to be finding a resonance in the world of

The most important influence throughout was of course Wirth’s insistence on simplicity of design, which finally seems to be finding a resonance in the world of computing. I believe that Wirth’s ultimate impact will be felt even stronger ten years from now than it is today, and that the legacy of his accomplished career devoted to The Art of Simplicity will be enduring. Simplicity is so underrated in this industry. I once went on an interview, where the developers at the company, insisted that I had to know every obscure detail of a languadge to be a master. To which I replied that clever code does not make it elegant code and by opting for fringe programming practices, over simpler more elegant solutions, that they where, in fact, unnecessarily complication their development process. The lesson seemed to go over their head and needless to say they where not interested in my advice. It's funny, in my experience, I have seen the developers that consistently deliver, usually parallel the developers that provide the simplest, most elegant solutions. Gold plating is such a problem in our industry, it is nice to see someone adhere to the doctrine of simplicity. It is an art unto itself.