There is a pleasure sure
In being mad which none but madmen know.
- John Dryden
Q: You have a long history of emphasizing fun in everything you do. At your defense of your Ph.D. dissertation, you answered a planted question with a rap song backed by a recorded rhythm track on a hidden tape recorder. And you and Neal Gafter did a "Java Puzzlers" routine in which you donned mechanics' overalls and called yourselves "Click and Hack, the Type-It Brothers," after the radio show Car Talk. What can you say about the importance of zaniness, goofiness, and joy in the process of developing?
A: It's a huge part of who I am and what I do. As I always say, computer science is an immature discipline, and I aim to keep it that way. I do much better work when I'm having fun and pursuing my passion. I'm deeply thankful that I've been able to spend so much of my academic and professional careers doing exactly that.
- Joshua Bloch, On Being Zany and Goofy While Developing
