It's what I call "mental masturbation", when you engage is some pointless intellectual exercise that has no possible meaning.

— Linus Torvalds, Linus Torvalds, Geek of the Week Interview (2008)

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20080720144745/http://www.simple-talk.com/opinion/geek-of-the-week/linus-torvalds,-geek-of-the-week/

From a 2008 Simple-Talk 'Geek of the Week' interview.

Topics: software engineering