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Aesthetics and the Human Factor in Programming
by A.P. Ershov
Communications of the ACM. July 1972, Volume 15, Number 7
(Reprinted with permission; Commentary is provided below)
The Luncheon Address at the 1972 Spring Joint Computer Conference was given by Professor Andrei P. Ershov, Information Division Head of the Computer Center, Siberian Division, USSR Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk University. Many who attended felt his remarks were particularly pertinent and thoughtful. Communications is grateful to the author and to AFIPS and the SJCC Technical Committee for the opportunity to present his speech to a wider audience.
I must admit that when I received the invitation to appear at this luncheon, my first impulse was to find out who before me had been honored with a similar invitation. I found in a list of preceding banquet and luncheon speakers three famous writers, two Congressmen, one general -- but hardly a representative of our own computer profession. Probably that was not accidental: the rapid and extensive development of our industry has inevitably increased the number of its peripheral contacts, the consequence of which has been a growing interest in the outside world. However, it is obvious that in order to cope with the serious problems of our profession, we must not only look at ourselves in the mirror of public opinion, but must also probe inside ourselves. I shall therefore allow myself the liberty of bringing to your attention some observations concerning the human factors vital in programming.