Knuth might agree, because what he actually wrote was:
"We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3%."
3% could pass for often, in the context of something that is discouraged.
"We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil. Yet we should not pass up our opportunities in that critical 3%."
3% could pass for often, in the context of something that is discouraged.