> "Premature optimization is the root of all evil." This Axiom has caused far an... | Hacker News

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Devasta 4 months ago | parent | context | favorite | on: Rob Pike’s Rules of Programming (1989)

> "Premature optimization is the root of all evil."

This Axiom has caused far and away more damage to software development than the premature optimization ever will.

gjadi 4 months ago [–]

Because people only quote it partially.

> We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3%.

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