"A picture is worth 10K words - but only those to describe the picture. Hardly any sets of 10K words can be adequately described with pictures"

This quote by Alan Perlis is emphasizing the power of visual imagery. A single image can communicate a lot of details in a brief amount of time, and can frequently be more effective than a lengthy description. However, Perlis is also cautioning that photos can only explain the image itself, and not the context or implying behind it. While an image might be worth 10,000 words, it is not likely that those words will have the ability to adequately describe the complete story. Therefore, it is important to think about the context and significance behind an image, and to supplement it with words if needed. Images can be an effective tool, however they ought to not be used as a replacement for words.