It is always amazing to me how much of a mix Dijkstra was. Many of the hand-written articles of his I read are filled with valuable insights, and are absolutely worth the read. And then there's those other sets of comments (like this one) that make me want to pay no attention to anything he had to say.

Of course, this is the guy who said "Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." And while I believe I understand his point he was trying to make, I have much higher respect for a person who still likes to get their hands dirty (still actually spends significant time programming computers) rather than just dealing with abstract theory, algorithms, analysis, etc. Yes, I know that Dijkstra knew how to program (and did so, extensively, especially earlier in his career). But this is the guy who never owned his own computer -- even after personal computers became commonplace. That, coupled with the above comment about BASIC (and other comments I've read from him like it) make him come across as kind of an elitist -- like programming is beneath him or something.

Perhaps my take is wrong, and it very well could be. But I will say this. If Dijkstra was still alive and well, and you put him, Guy Steele, and Don Knuth in a room and asked me to pick two of the three to spend the day with, Dijkstra would be the one left out in the cold.