<commit_before>---
layout: post
title: The Path to Dijkstra's Handwriting
---

{{ page.title }}
================

My handwriting used to be terrible. I think I got to a point in fourth grade
where it just stopped getting better unlike most people. It didn't bother me
either. It was still semi-legible to others and perfectly readable to myself.

<div class="gallery two">

<a href="/img/handwriting/bad1.png">
<img src="/img/handwriting/bad1.png">
<span>One of my to do lists from sophomore year.</span>
</a>

<a href="/img/handwriting/bad2.png">
<img src="/img/handwriting/bad2.png">
<span>Part of my solution to a Project Euler problem.</span>
</a>

</div>

My letters lacked consistency. Things weren't spaced very well and it just
looked *messy*. I have no idea how my professors put up with it.

## Inspiration

I've mentioned why I've admired Dijkstra [before][before], but I've read some of his EWDs
and really liked his handwriting. Here's a sample of what his handwriting looked
like. This was taken from his EWD called [On the Cruelty of Really Teaching
Computing Science][ewd]:

<div class="gallery one">

<a href="/img/handwriting/dijkstras.png">
<img src="/img/handwriting/dijkstras.png">
<span>Sample of Dijkstra's handwriting.</span>
</a>

</div>

[before]: {% post_url 2013-05-11-beginning-of-a-beautiful-blogship %}
[ewd]: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/ewd10xx/EWD1036.PDF

The first thing that I noticed when I saw it was just how simple and neat it is.
I'm not calligrapher by any means, but the letters just fit together well and
flow nicely.

I came across a [comment on Reddit][comment] by someone that had Dijkstra as a professor.
Here's what it said:

[comment]: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/8rheh/any_tips_to_improve_handwriting_neatness_my/c0a7hoy

> I've always had horrible handwriting. When I was a computer science student I
> was in a class taught by <NAME>. During the class he asked us to
> occasionally turn in our notes, because he wanted to see what we thought was
> important.
><commit_msg>Add PDF warning<commit_after>---
layout: post
title: The Path to Dijkstra's Handwriting
---

{{ page.title }}
================

My handwriting used to be terrible. I think I got to a point in fourth grade
where it just stopped getting better unlike most people. It didn't bother me
either. It was still semi-legible to others and perfectly readable to myself.

<div class="gallery two">

<a href="/img/handwriting/bad1.png">
<img src="/img/handwriting/bad1.png">
<span>One of my to do lists from sophomore year.</span>
</a>

<a href="/img/handwriting/bad2.png">
<img src="/img/handwriting/bad2.png">
<span>Part of my solution to a Project Euler problem.</span>
</a>

</div>

My letters lacked consistency. Things weren't spaced very well and it just
looked *messy*. I have no idea how my professors put up with it.

## Inspiration

I've mentioned why I've admired Dijkstra [before][before], but I've read some of his EWDs
and really liked his handwriting. Here's a sample of what his handwriting looked
like. This was taken from his EWD called [On the Cruelty of Really Teaching
Computing Science (pdf)][ewd]:

<div class="gallery one">

<a href="/img/handwriting/dijkstras.png">
<img src="/img/handwriting/dijkstras.png">
<span>Sample of Dijkstra's handwriting.</span>
</a>

</div>

[before]: {% post_url 2013-05-11-beginning-of-a-beautiful-blogship %}
[ewd]: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/ewd10xx/EWD1036.PDF

The first thing that I noticed when I saw it was just how simple and neat it is.
I'm not calligrapher by any means, but the letters just fit together well and
flow nicely.

I came across a [comment on Reddit][comment] by someone that had Dijkstra as a professor.
Here's what it said:

[comment]: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/8rheh/any_tips_to_improve_handwriting_neatness_my/c0a7hoy

> I've always had horrible handwriting. When I was a computer science student I
> was in a class taught by <NAME>. During the class he asked us to
> occasionally turn in our notes, because he wanted to see what we thought was
> important.
>
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