Especially since the original "X considered harmful" was not formulated by the author, Edsger Dijkstra. It was an editorial emphasis provided by none other tha

Especially since the original "X considered harmful" was not formulated by the author, Edsger Dijkstra. It was an editorial emphasis provided by none other than Nikalaus Wirth, who had the qualification of having written or having helped to write a long list of significant programming languages. Dijkstra's origin title was the much more humble "A Case Against the Goto Statement." Wirth's formulation provided a gravitas and finality that signalled a strong endorsement of the essay. The important takeaway lesson, in my mind, is that NOT EVEN EDSGER DIJKSTRA would have presented a paper with such a pretentious title. It was the judicious endorsement of a journal's CHIEF EDITOR. And it is quite literally, at this point, a pretentious title.