Jeffrey Ullman

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Process these original and thought-provoking responses from Jeffrey Ullman, celebrated CS professor from Stanford, and co/author of some of the best reference books available, including the renowned book on which the better part of the hot client-server crowd cut their datababy teeth.

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• What is your programming language of choice?

  C

• What is your favorite operating system?

  UNIX

• Do you have a hero or role model?

  When I arrived at Stanford in 1979, I learned what a remarkable breed the earliest computer scientists were. I got to see the profound scholarship of Gene Golub and Don Knuth. I saw the vibrant intellect of John McCarthy, and Ed Feigenbaum's ability to inspire those around him with his vision of AI successes just around the corner.

  Those like me, who followed the first wave, sometimes forget what it takes to be a pioneer, to open up a field that wasn't there before.

• What is your favorite kind of music?

  Baroque or 50-60's rock

• What is your favorite news group?

  I never got the habit, for which I am thankful.

• What is your favorite web page (besides geekchic!)?

  Web browsing is another thing I never got into. However, here are a few places that I think are worth a mention:

  1. http://www.playboy.com

     and its ilk, because they remind us that the internet does not (yet) belong to the people who stay awake worrying that someone, somewhere is having fun.

  2. http://www.sgo.com/olecar.html (now broken)

     It's an appointment sign-up for an auto repair shop in Palo Alto. It suggests the kinds of things that will be routine in a few years.

  3. http://sp1.berkeley.edu/findthespam.html (now broken)

     An example of the sort of intellectual challenge that Berkeley-ites face routinely every day.

  4. http://db.stanford.edu/~ullman

     My own page is not surprising in any way, but it does contain some materials to supplement some of my books.

• What sports do you enjoy?

  Running

• What kind of car do you drive?

  Red 1988 Acura

• What hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?

  Playing "Carriers at War" (a simulation game)

• What is your favorite book (or author)?

  John Brunner, especially for "Stand on Zanzibar" and "The Sheep Look Up." Also, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle for "The Mote in God's Eye" and "Lucifer's Hammer."

• What is your favorite movie?

  Spaceballs.

• What sort of clothing do you usually wear to work?

  Oxford shirt, Dockers, black loafers.

• What is your favorite food?

  Grilled, smoked gouda on Health-Nut bread.