diff --git a/jarg2912.txt b/jarg2912.txt index 6cdfce1..8561e1f 100644 --- a/jarg2912.txt +++ b/jarg2912.txt @@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ restraints on what you can do with it, but there are traditions about its proper use to which many hackers are quite strongly attached. Please extend the courtesy of proper citation when you quote the File, ideally with a version number, as it will change and grow over time. -(Examples of appropriate citation form: "Jargon File 2.9.12" or -"The on-line hacker Jargon File, version 2.9.12, 10 MAY 1993".) +(Examples of appropriate citation form: Jargon File 2.9.12 or +"The on-line hacker Jargon File, version 2.9.12, 10 MAY 1993.) The Jargon File is a common heritage of the hacker culture. Over the years a number of individuals have volunteered considerable @@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ nuance-filled, multi-modal, heavily coded) is associated with cultures which value subjectivity, consensus, cooperation, and tradition. What then are we to make of hackerdom, which is themed around extremely low-context interaction with computers and exhibits primarily -"low-context" values, but cultivates an almost absurdly high-context +low-context values, but cultivates an almost absurdly high-context slang style? The intensity and consciousness of hackish invention make a compilation @@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ benefit from them. A selection of longer items of hacker folklore and humor is included in {appendix A}. The `outside' reader's attention is particularly directed -to {appendix B}, "A Portrait of J. Random Hacker". {Appendix C} is a +to {appendix B}, A Portrait of J. Random Hacker. {Appendix C} is a bibliography of non-technical works which have either influenced or described the hacker culture. @@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ The jargon/techspeak distinction is the delicate one. A lot of techspeak originated as jargon, and there is a steady continuing uptake of jargon into techspeak. On the other hand, a lot of jargon arises from overgeneralization of techspeak terms (there is more about this in -the "Jargon Construction" section below). +the Jargon Construction section below). In general, we have considered techspeak any term that communicates primarily by a denotation well established in textbooks, technical @@ -470,17 +470,17 @@ McCarthy's original crew of LISPers. These include the following: :Verb Doubling: --------------- A standard construction in English is to -double a verb and use it as an exclamation, such as "Bang, bang!" or -"Quack, quack!". Most of these are names for noises. Hackers also +double a verb and use it as an exclamation, such as Bang, bang! or +Quack, quack!. Most of these are names for noises. Hackers also double verbs as a concise, sometimes sarcastic comment on what the implied subject does. Also, a doubled verb is often used to terminate a conversation, in the process remarking on the current state of affairs or what the speaker intends to do next. Typical examples involve {win}, {lose}, {hack}, {flame}, {barf}, {chomp}: - "The disk heads just crashed." "Lose, lose." - "Mostly he talked about his latest crock. Flame, flame." - "Boy, what a bagbiter! Chomp, chomp!" + The disk heads just crashed. Lose, lose. + Mostly he talked about his latest crock. Flame, flame. + Boy, what a bagbiter! Chomp, chomp! Some verb-doubled constructions have special meanings not immediately obvious from the verb. These have their own listings in the lexicon. @@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ obvious from the verb. These have their own listings in the lexicon. The {USENET} culture has one *tripling* convention unrelated to this; the names of `joke' topic groups often have a tripled last element. The first and paradigmatic example was -alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork (a "Muppet Show" reference); +alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork (a Muppet Show reference); other infamous examples have included: alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg @@ -535,22 +535,22 @@ function). The question should expect a yes/no answer, though it needn't. (See {T} and {NIL}.) At dinnertime: - Q: "Foodp?" - A: "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry." or "T!" + Q: Foodp? + A: Yeah, I'm pretty hungry. or T! At any time: - Q: "State-of-the-world-P?" - A: (Straight) "I'm about to go home." - A: (Humorous) "Yes, the world has a state." + Q: State-of-the-world-P? + A: (Straight) I'm about to go home. + A: (Humorous) Yes, the world has a state. On the phone to Florida: - Q: "State-p Florida?" - A: "Been reading JARGON.TXT again, eh?" + Q: State-p Florida? + A: Been reading JARGON.TXT again, eh? [One of the best of these is a {Gosperism}. Once, when we were at a Chinese restaurant, Bill Gosper wanted to know whether someone would like to share with him a two-person-sized bowl of soup. His inquiry -was: "Split-p soup?" --- GLS] +was: Split-p soup? --- GLS] :Overgeneralization: -------------------- A very conspicuous feature of @@ -587,9 +587,9 @@ Some hackers cheerfully reverse this; they argue, for example, that the horizontal degree lines on a globe ought to be called `lats' --- after all, they're measuring latitude! -Also, note that all nouns can be verbed. E.g.: "All nouns can be -verbed", "I'll mouse it up", "Hang on while I clipboard it over", "I'm -grepping the files". English as a whole is already heading in this +Also, note that all nouns can be verbed. E.g.: All nouns can be +verbed, I'll mouse it up, Hang on while I clipboard it over, I'm +grepping the files. English as a whole is already heading in this direction (towards pure-positional grammar like Chinese); hackers are simply a bit ahead of the curve. @@ -644,8 +644,8 @@ might more naturally be used. It has been suggested that this usage derives from the impossibility of representing such noises on a comm link or in electronic mail (interestingly, the same sorts of constructions have been showing up with increasing frequency in comic -strips). Another expression sometimes heard is "Complain!", meaning "I -have a complaint!" +strips). Another expression sometimes heard is Complain!, meaning I +have a complaint! :Anthromorphization: -------------------- Semantically, one rich source @@ -655,11 +655,11 @@ personalize their stuff in the sense of feeling empathy with it, nor do they mystically believe that the things they work on every day are `alive'. What *is* common is to hear hardware or software talked about as though it has homunculi talking to each other inside it, with -intentions and desires. Thus, one hears "The protocol handler got -confused", or that programs "are trying" to do things, or one may say of -a routine that "its goal in life is to X". One even hears explanations -like "... and its poor little brain couldn't understand X, and it -died." Sometimes modelling things this way actually seems to make them +intentions and desires. Thus, one hears The protocol handler got +confused, or that programs are trying to do things, or one may say of +a routine that its goal in life is to X. One even hears explanations +like ... and its poor little brain couldn't understand X, and it +died. Sometimes modelling things this way actually seems to make them easier to understand, perhaps because it's instinctively natural to think of anything with a really complex behavioral repertoire as `like a person' rather than `like a thing'. @@ -704,18 +704,18 @@ form-versus-content language jokes that shows up particularly in hackish writing. One correspondent reports that he consistently misspells `wrong' as `worng'. Others have been known to criticize glitches in Jargon File drafts by observing (in the mode of Douglas Hofstadter) -"This sentence no verb", or "Too repetetetive", or "Bad speling", or -"Incorrectspa cing." Similarly, intentional spoonerisms are often made +This sentence no verb, or Too repetetetive, or Bad speling, or +Incorrectspa cing. Similarly, intentional spoonerisms are often made of phrases relating to confusion or things that are confusing; `dain bramage' for `brain damage' is perhaps the most common (similarly, a -hacker would be likely to write "Excuse me, I'm cixelsyd today", rather -than "I'm dyslexic today"). This sort of thing is quite common and is +hacker would be likely to write Excuse me, I'm cixelsyd today, rather +than I'm dyslexic today). This sort of thing is quite common and is enjoyed by all concerned. Hackers tend to use quotes as balanced delimiters like parentheses, much -to the dismay of American editors. Thus, if "Jim is going" is a phrase, -and so are "Bill runs" and "Spock groks", then hackers generally prefer -to write: "Jim is going", "Bill runs", and "Spock groks". This is +to the dismay of American editors. Thus, if Jim is going is a phrase, +and so are Bill runs and Spock groks, then hackers generally prefer +to write: Jim is going, Bill runs, and Spock groks. This is incorrect according to standard American usage (which would put the continuation commas and the final period inside the string quotes); however, it is counter-intuitive to hackers to mutilate literal strings @@ -726,11 +726,11 @@ small pieces of code, extra characters can be a real pain in the neck. Consider, for example, a sentence in a {vi} tutorial that looks like this: - Then delete a line from the file by typing "dd". + Then delete a line from the file by typing dd. Standard usage would make this - Then delete a line from the file by typing "dd." + Then delete a line from the file by typing dd. but that would be very bad --- because the reader would be prone to type the string d-d-dot, and it happens that in `vi(1)' dot repeats the last @@ -789,18 +789,18 @@ normal means of font changes, underlining, and the like are available. One of these is that TEXT IN ALL CAPS IS INTERPRETED AS `LOUD', and this becomes such an ingrained synesthetic reflex that a person who goes to -caps-lock while in {talk mode} may be asked to "stop shouting, please, -you're hurting my ears!". +caps-lock while in {talk mode} may be asked to stop shouting, please, +you're hurting my ears!. Also, it is common to use bracketing with unusual characters to signify -emphasis. The asterisk is most common, as in "What the *hell*?" even +emphasis. The asterisk is most common, as in What the *hell*? even though this interferes with the common use of the asterisk suffix as a footnote mark. The underscore is also common, suggesting underlining -(this is particularly common with book titles; for example, "It is often +(this is particularly common with book titles; for example, It is often alleged that Joe Haldeman wrote _The_Forever_War_ as a rebuttal to Robert Heinlein's earlier novel of the future military, -_Starship_Troopers_."). Other forms exemplified by "=hell=", "\hell/", -or "/hell/" are occasionally seen (it's claimed that in the last example +_Starship_Troopers_.). Other forms exemplified by =hell=, \hell/, +or /hell/ are occasionally seen (it's claimed that in the last example the first slash pushes the letters over to the right to make them italic, and the second keeps them from falling over). Finally, words may also be emphasized L I K E T H I S, or by a series of carets (^) @@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ text Be nice to this fool^H^H^H^Hgentleman, he's in from corporate HQ. -would be read as "Be nice to this fool, I mean this gentleman...". This +would be read as Be nice to this fool, I mean this gentleman.... This comes from the fact that the digraph ^H is often used as a print representation for a backspace. It parallels (and may have been influenced by) the ironic use of `slashouts' in science-fiction @@ -903,10 +903,10 @@ see the following: In the above, the `#ifdef'/`#endif' pair is a conditional compilation syntax from C; here, it implies that the text between (which is a {flame}) should be evaluated only if you have turned on (or defined on) -the switch FLAME. The `#include' at the end is C for "include standard -disclaimer here"; the `standard disclaimer' is understood to read, -roughly, "These are my personal opinions and not to be construed as the -official position of my employer." +the switch FLAME. The `#include' at the end is C for include standard +disclaimer here; the `standard disclaimer' is understood to read, +roughly, These are my personal opinions and not to be construed as the +official position of my employer. The top section in the example, with > at the left margin, is an example of an inclusion convention we'll discuss below. @@ -935,8 +935,8 @@ tends to break down hierarchical authority relationships; a bad one is that it may encourage depersonalization and gratuitous rudeness. Perhaps in response to this, experienced netters often display a sort of conscious formal politesse in their writing that has passed out of -fashion in other spoken and written media (for example, the phrase "Well -said, sir!" is not uncommon). +fashion in other spoken and written media (for example, the phrase Well +said, sir! is not uncommon). Many introverted hackers who are next to inarticulate in person communicate with considerable fluency over the net, perhaps precisely @@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ inclusion leader consisting of three or four spaces became established in EMACS and a few mailers), the use of leading `>' or `> ' became standard, perhaps owing to its use in `ed(1)' to display tabs (alternatively, it may derive from the `>' that some early UNIX mailers -used to quote lines starting with "From" in text, so they wouldn't look +used to quote lines starting with From in text, so they wouldn't look like the beginnings of new message headers). Inclusions within inclusions keep their `>' leaders, so the `nesting level' of a quotation is visually apparent. @@ -980,14 +980,14 @@ The practice of including text from the parent article when posting a followup helped solve what had been a major nuisance on USENET: the fact that articles do not arrive at different sites in the same order. Careless posters used to post articles that would begin with, or even -consist entirely of, "No, that's wrong" or "I agree" or the like. It +consist entirely of, No, that's wrong or I agree or the like. It was hard to see who was responding to what. Consequently, around 1984, new news-posting software evolved a facility to automatically include -the text of a previous article, marked with "> " or whatever the poster +the text of a previous article, marked with > or whatever the poster chose. The poster was expected to delete all but the relevant lines. The result has been that, now, careless posters post articles containing -the *entire* text of a preceding article, *followed* only by "No, that's -wrong" or "I agree". +the *entire* text of a preceding article, *followed* only by No, that's +wrong or I agree. Many people feel that this cure is worse than the original disease, and there soon appeared newsreader software designed to let the reader skip @@ -1049,8 +1049,8 @@ and if (!going) ... -that when they parse the question "Aren't you going?" it seems to be -asking the opposite question from "Are you going?", and so merits an +that when they parse the question Aren't you going? it seems to be +asking the opposite question from Are you going?, and so merits an answer in the opposite sense. This confuses English-speaking non-hackers because they were taught to answer as though the negative part weren't there. In some other languages (including Russian, @@ -1068,10 +1068,10 @@ them. In a related vein, hackers sometimes make a game of answering questions containing logical connectives with a strictly literal rather than colloquial interpretation. A non-hacker who is indelicate -enough to ask a question like "So, are you working on finding that -bug *now* or leaving it until later?" is likely to get the -perfectly correct answer "Yes!" (that is, "Yes, I'm doing it either -now or later, and you didn't ask which!"). +enough to ask a question like So, are you working on finding that +bug *now* or leaving it until later? is likely to get the +perfectly correct answer Yes! (that is, Yes, I'm doing it either +now or later, and you didn't ask which!). :International Style: ===================== @@ -1116,12 +1116,12 @@ which are to be interpreted using the following conventions: accent in some words of four or more syllables). 2. Consonants are pronounced as in American English. The letter `g' is - always hard (as in "got" rather than "giant"); `ch' is soft - ("church" rather than "chemist"). The letter `j' is the sound - that occurs twice in "judge". The letter `s' is always as in - "pass", never a z sound. The digraph `kh' is the guttural of - "loch" or "l'chaim". The digraph 'gh' is the aspirated g+h of - "bughouse" or "ragheap" (rare in English). + always hard (as in got rather than giant); `ch' is soft + (church rather than chemist). The letter `j' is the sound + that occurs twice in judge. The letter `s' is always as in + pass, never a z sound. The digraph `kh' is the guttural of + loch or l'chaim. The digraph 'gh' is the aspirated g+h of + bughouse or ragheap (rare in English). 3. Uppercase letters are pronounced as their English letter names; thus (for example) /H-L-L/ is equivalent to /aitch el el/. /Z/ may @@ -1208,9 +1208,9 @@ reminder seems useful that the term has a jargon meaning and one might wish to refer to its entry. In this all-ASCII version, headwords for topic entries are distinguished -from those for ordinary entries by being followed by "::" rather than -":"; similarly, references are surrounded by "{{" and "}}" rather than -"{" and "}". +from those for ordinary entries by being followed by :: rather than +:; similarly, references are surrounded by {{ and }} rather than +{ and }. Defining instances of terms and phrases appear in `slanted type'. A defining instance is one which occurs near to or as part of an @@ -1437,27 +1437,27 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Motorola 680x0 family. 2. A register being used for arithmetic or logic (as opposed to addressing or a loop index), especially one being used to accumulate a sum or count of many items. This use is - in context of a particular routine or stretch of code. "The - FOOBAZ routine uses A3 as an accumulator." 3. One's in-basket - (esp. among old-timers who might use sense 1). "You want this - reviewed? Sure, just put it in the accumulator." (See {stack}.) + in context of a particular routine or stretch of code. The + FOOBAZ routine uses A3 as an accumulator. 3. One's in-basket + (esp. among old-timers who might use sense 1). You want this + reviewed? Sure, just put it in the accumulator. (See {stack}.) :ACK: /ak/ interj. 1. [from the ASCII mnemonic for 0000110] Acknowledge. Used to register one's presence (compare mainstream *Yo!*). An appropriate response to {ping} or {ENQ}. - 2. [from the comic strip "Bloom County"] An exclamation of - surprised disgust, esp. in "Ack pffft!" Semi-humorous. + 2. [from the comic strip Bloom County] An exclamation of + surprised disgust, esp. in Ack pffft! Semi-humorous. Generally this sense is not spelled in caps (ACK) and is distinguished by a following exclamation point. 3. Used to politely interrupt someone to tell them you understand their point (see {NAK}). Thus, for example, you might cut off an overly - long explanation with "Ack. Ack. Ack. I get it now". + long explanation with Ack. Ack. Ack. I get it now. - There is also a usage "ACK?" (from sense 1) meaning "Are you - there?", often used in email when earlier mail has produced no + There is also a usage ACK? (from sense 1) meaning Are you + there?, often used in email when earlier mail has produced no reply, or during a lull in {talk mode} to see if the person has gone away (the standard humorous response is of course {NAK} - (sense 2), i.e., "I'm not here"). + (sense 2), i.e., I'm not here). :ad-hockery: /ad-hok'*r-ee/ [Purdue] n. 1. Gratuitous assumptions made inside certain programs, esp. expert systems, which lead to @@ -1477,7 +1477,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon technically, it is precisely what one might expect given that kind of endorsement by fiat; designed by committee, crockish, difficult to use, and overall a disastrous, multi-billion-dollar boondoggle - (one common description is "The PL/I of the 1980s"). Hackers + (one common description is The PL/I of the 1980s). Hackers find Ada's exception-handling and inter-process communication features particularly hilarious. Ada Lovelace (the daughter of Lord Byron who became the world's first programmer while @@ -1490,8 +1490,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :adger: /aj'r/ [UCLA] vt. To make a bonehead move with consequences that could have been foreseen with even slight mental - effort. E.g., "He started removing files and promptly adgered the - whole project". Compare {dumbass attack}. + effort. E.g., He started removing files and promptly adgered the + whole project. Compare {dumbass attack}. :admin: /ad-min'/ n. Short for `administrator'; very commonly used in speech or on-line to refer to the systems person in charge @@ -1510,10 +1510,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon This game defined the terse, dryly humorous style now expected in text adventure games, and popularized several tag lines that have - become fixtures of hacker-speak: "A huge green fierce snake bars - the way!" "I see no X here" (for some noun X). "You are in a - maze of twisty little passages, all alike." "You are in a little - maze of twisty passages, all different." The `magic words' + become fixtures of hacker-speak: A huge green fierce snake bars + the way! I see no X here (for some noun X). You are in a + maze of twisty little passages, all alike. You are in a little + maze of twisty passages, all different. The `magic words' {xyzzy} and {plugh} also derive from this game. Crowther, by the way, participated in the exploration of the @@ -1522,7 +1522,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon also turns up is cavers' jargon for a map reference to a secondary entrance. -:AFJ: // n. Written-only abbreviation for "April Fool's Joke". +:AFJ: // n. Written-only abbreviation for April Fool's Joke. Elaborate April Fool's hoaxes are a long-established tradition on USENET and Internet; see {kremvax} for an example. In fact, April Fool's Day is the *only* seasonal holiday marked by @@ -1550,7 +1550,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :AI koans: /A-I koh'anz/ pl.n. A series of pastiches of Zen teaching riddles created by Danny Hillis at the MIT AI Lab around various major figures of the Lab's culture (several are included - under "{A Selection of AI Koans}" in {Appendix + under {A Selection of AI Koans} in {Appendix A}). See also {ha ha only serious}, {mu}, and {{Humor, Hacker}}. @@ -1562,7 +1562,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :AIDX: n. /aydkz/ n. Derogatory term for IBM's perverted version of UNIX, AIX, especially for the AIX 3.? used in the IBM RS/6000 - series. A victim of the dreaded "hybridism" disease, this + series. A victim of the dreaded hybridism disease, this attempt to combine the two main currents of the UNIX stream ({BSD} and {USG UNIX}) became a {monstrosity} to haunt system administrators' dreams. For example, if new accounts are @@ -1572,9 +1572,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {terminak}, {Macintrash} {Nominal Semidestructor}, {Open DeathTrap}, {ScumOS}, {sun-stools}. -:airplane rule: n. "Complexity increases the possibility of +:airplane rule: n. Complexity increases the possibility of failure; a twin-engine airplane has twice as many engine problems - as a single-engine airplane." By analogy, in both software and + as a single-engine airplane. By analogy, in both software and electronics, the rule that simplicity increases robustness. It is correspondingly argued that the right way to build reliable systems is to put all your eggs in one basket, after making sure that @@ -1622,9 +1622,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ESC character (ASCII 0011011), after the keycap labeling on some older terminals; also `altmode' (/awlt'mohd/). This character was almost never pronounced `escape' on an ITS system, in - {TECO}, or under TOPS-10 --- always alt, as in "Type alt alt to - end a TECO command" or "alt-U onto the system" (for "log onto - the [ITS] system"). This usage probably arose because alt is more + {TECO}, or under TOPS-10 --- always alt, as in Type alt alt to + end a TECO command or alt-U onto the system (for log onto + the [ITS] system). This usage probably arose because alt is more convenient to say than `escape', especially when followed by another alt or a character (or another alt *and* a character, for that matter). @@ -1637,7 +1637,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Guy L. Steele Jr. (Digital Press, first edition 1984, second edition 1990). Note that due to a technical screwup some printings of the second edition are actually of a color the author describes - succinctly as "yucky green". See also {{book titles}}. + succinctly as yucky green. See also {{book titles}}. :amoeba: n. Humorous term for the Commodore Amiga personal computer. @@ -1667,7 +1667,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :AOS: 1. /aws/ (East Coast), /ay-os/ (West Coast) [based on a PDP-10 increment instruction] vt.,obs. To increase the amount of - something. "AOS the campfire." Usage: considered silly, and now + something. AOS the campfire. Usage: considered silly, and now obsolete. Now largely supplanted by {bump}. See {SOS}. 2. n. A {{Multics}}-derived OS supported at one time by Data General. This was pronounced /A-O-S/ or /A-os/. A spoof of @@ -1721,8 +1721,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :arg: /arg/ n. Abbreviation for `argument' (to a function), used so often as to have become a new word (like `piano' from - `pianoforte'). "The sine function takes 1 arg, but the - arc-tangent function can take either 1 or 2 args." Compare + `pianoforte'). The sine function takes 1 arg, but the + arc-tangent function can take either 1 or 2 args. Compare {param}, {parm}, {var}. :ARMM: [acronym, `Automated Retroactive Minimal Moderation'] n. A @@ -1745,7 +1745,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Reactions varied from amusememt to outrage. The pathological messages crashed at least one mail system, and upset people paying line charges for their USENET feeds. One poster described the ARMM - debacle as "instant USENET history" (instantly establishing the + debacle as instant USENET history (instantly establishing the term {despew}), and it has since been widely cited as a cautionary example of the havoc the combination of good intentions and incompetence can wreak on a network. Compare {Great Worm, @@ -1803,8 +1803,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon names that are reported but rarely seen; official ANSI/CCITT names are surrounded by brokets: <>. Square brackets mark the particularly silly names introduced by {INTERCAL}. The - abbreviations "l/r" and "o/c" stand for left/right and - "open/close" respectively. Ordinary parentheticals provide some + abbreviations l/r and o/c stand for left/right and + open/close respectively. Ordinary parentheticals provide some usage information. ! @@ -1812,7 +1812,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Rare: factorial; exclam; smash; cuss; boing; yell; wow; hey; wham; eureka; [spark-spot]; soldier. - " + Common: double quote; quote. Rare: literal mark; double-glitch; ; ; dirk; [rabbit-ears]; double prime. @@ -1967,7 +1967,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Some other common usages cause odd overlaps. The `#', `$', `>', and `&' characters, for example, are all - pronounced "hex" in different communities because various + pronounced hex in different communities because various assemblers use them as a prefix tag for hexadecimal constants (in particular, `#' in many assembler-programming cultures, `$' in the 6502 world, `>' at Texas Instruments, and @@ -2032,7 +2032,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon | ^^^^^^^ B ^^^^^^^^^ | | ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | +--------------------------------------------------------+ - " A Bee in the Carrot Patch " + A Bee in the Carrot Patch Figure 3. @@ -2062,8 +2062,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon several things `atomically', i.e., all the things are done immediately, and there is no chance of the instruction being half-completed. Esp. used to convey that an operation cannot be - screwed up by interrupts. "This routine locks the file and - increments the file's semaphore atomically." This usage has none + screwed up by interrupts. This routine locks the file and + increments the file's semaphore atomically. This usage has none of the connotations that `atomic' has in mainstream English (i.e. of particles of matter, nuclear explosions etc.). @@ -2081,8 +2081,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Automatically, but in a way that, for some reason (typically because it is too complicated, or too ugly, or perhaps even too trivial), the speaker doesn't feel like explaining to you. See - {magic}. "The C-INTERCAL compiler generates C, then automagically - invokes `cc(1)' to produce an executable." + {magic}. The C-INTERCAL compiler generates C, then automagically + invokes `cc(1)' to produce an executable. :avatar: [CMU, Tektronix] n. Syn. {root}, {superuser}. There are quite a few UNIX machines on which the name of the superuser @@ -2138,7 +2138,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon trace in the sources. The talk that revealed this truly moby hack was published as - "Reflections on Trusting Trust", `Communications of the + Reflections on Trusting Trust, `Communications of the ACM 27', 8 (August 1984), pp. 761--763. :backbone cabal: n. A group of large-site administrators who pushed @@ -2160,8 +2160,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :background: n.,adj.,vt. To do a task `in background' is to do it whenever {foreground} matters are not claiming your undivided attention, and `to background' something means to relegate it to - a lower priority. "For now, we'll just print a list of nodes and - links; I'm working on the graph-printing problem in background." + a lower priority. For now, we'll just print a list of nodes and + links; I'm working on the graph-printing problem in background. Note that this implies ongoing activity but at a reduced level or in spare time, in contrast to mainstream `back burner' (which connotes benign neglect until some future resumption of activity). @@ -2188,7 +2188,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon deprecated but actively defeated. (Too often, the old and new versions cannot definitively be distinguished, such that lingering instances of the previous ones yield crashes or other infelicitous - effects, as opposed to a simple "version mismatch" message.) A + effects, as opposed to a simple version mismatch message.) A backwards compatible change, on the other hand, allows old versions to coexist without crashes or error messages, but too many major changes incorporating elaborate backwards compatibility processing @@ -2201,9 +2201,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Bad Thing: [from the 1930 Sellar & Yeatman parody `1066 And All That'] n. Something that can't possibly result in improvement - of the subject. This term is always capitalized, as in "Replacing + of the subject. This term is always capitalized, as in Replacing all of the 9600-baud modems with bicycle couriers would be a Bad - Thing". Oppose {Good Thing}. British correspondents confirm + Thing. Oppose {Good Thing}. British correspondents confirm that {Bad Thing} and {Good Thing} (and prob. therefore {Right Thing} and {Wrong Thing}) come from the book referenced in the etymology, which discusses rulers who were Good Kings but Bad @@ -2215,30 +2215,30 @@ The Jargon Lexicon derogatory, implying that the original was being overextended and should have been thrown away, and the new product is ugly, inelegant, or bloated. Also v. phrase, `to hang a bag on the side - [of]'. "C++? That's just a bag on the side of C ...." - "They want me to hang a bag on the side of the accounting - system." + [of]'. C++? That's just a bag on the side of C .... + They want me to hang a bag on the side of the accounting + system. :bagbiter: /bag'bi:t-*r/ n. 1. Something, such as a program or a computer, that fails to work, or works in a remarkably clumsy - manner. "This text editor won't let me make a file with a line - longer than 80 characters! What a bagbiter!" 2. A person who has + manner. This text editor won't let me make a file with a line + longer than 80 characters! What a bagbiter! 2. A person who has caused you some trouble, inadvertently or otherwise, typically by failing to program the computer properly. Synonyms: {loser}, {cretin}, {chomper}. 3. adj. `bagbiting' Having the - quality of a bagbiter. "This bagbiting system won't let me - compute the factorial of a negative number." Compare {losing}, + quality of a bagbiter. This bagbiting system won't let me + compute the factorial of a negative number. Compare {losing}, {cretinous}, {bletcherous}, `barfucious' (under {barfulous}) and `chomping' (under {chomp}). 4. `bite - the bag' vi. To fail in some manner. "The computer keeps crashing - every five minutes." "Yes, the disk controller is really biting - the bag." The original loading of these terms was almost + the bag' vi. To fail in some manner. The computer keeps crashing + every five minutes. Yes, the disk controller is really biting + the bag. The original loading of these terms was almost undoubtedly obscene, possibly referring to the scrotum, but in their current usage they have become almost completely sanitized. A program called Lexiphage on the old MIT AI PDP-10 would draw on a - selected victim's bitmapped terminal the words "THE BAG" in + selected victim's bitmapped terminal the words THE BAG in ornate letters, followed a pair of jaws biting pieces of it off. This is the first and to date only known example of a program *intended* to be a bagbiter. @@ -2255,8 +2255,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon bananas. This term, like macrotapes themselves, is still current but visibly headed for obsolescence. -:banana problem: n. [from the story of the little girl who said "I - know how to spell `banana', but I don't know when to stop"]. Not +:banana problem: n. [from the story of the little girl who said I + know how to spell `banana', but I don't know when to stop]. Not knowing where or when to bring a production to a close (compare {fencepost error}). One may say `there is a banana problem' of an algorithm with poorly defined or incorrect termination conditions, @@ -2269,9 +2269,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bandwidth: n. 1. Used by hackers (in a generalization of its technical meaning) as the volume of information per unit time that a - computer, person, or transmission medium can handle. "Those are + computer, person, or transmission medium can handle. Those are amazing graphics, but I missed some of the detail --- not enough - bandwidth, I guess." Compare {low-bandwidth}. 2. Attention + bandwidth, I guess. Compare {low-bandwidth}. 2. Attention span. 3. On {USENET}, a measure of network capacity that is often wasted by people complaining about how items posted by others are a waste of bandwidth. @@ -2283,18 +2283,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon but the spread of UNIX has carried `bang' with it (esp. via the term {bang path}) and it is now certainly the most common spoken name for `!'. Note that it is used exclusively for - non-emphatic written `!'; one would not say "Congratulations - bang" (except possibly for humorous purposes), but if one wanted - to specify the exact characters `foo!' one would speak "Eff oh oh - bang". See {shriek}, {{ASCII}}. 2. interj. An exclamation - signifying roughly "I have achieved enlightenment!", or "The - dynamite has cleared out my brain!" Often used to acknowledge + non-emphatic written `!'; one would not say Congratulations + bang (except possibly for humorous purposes), but if one wanted + to specify the exact characters `foo!' one would speak Eff oh oh + bang. See {shriek}, {{ASCII}}. 2. interj. An exclamation + signifying roughly I have achieved enlightenment!, or The + dynamite has cleared out my brain! Often used to acknowledge that one has perpetrated a {thinko} immediately after one has been called on it. -:bang on: vt. To stress-test a piece of hardware or software: "I +:bang on: vt. To stress-test a piece of hardware or software: I banged on the new version of the simulator all day yesterday and it - didn't crash once. I guess it is ready for release." The term + didn't crash once. I guess it is ready for release. The term {pound on} is synonymous. :bang path: n. An old-style UUCP electronic-mail address specifying @@ -2329,8 +2329,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon containing a logo and/or author credits and/or a copyright notice. :bar: /bar/ n. 1. The second {metasyntactic variable}, after {foo} - and before {baz}. "Suppose we have two functions: FOO and BAR. - FOO calls BAR...." 2. Often appended to {foo} to produce + and before {baz}. Suppose we have two functions: FOO and BAR. + FOO calls BAR.... 2. Often appended to {foo} to produce {foobar}. :bare metal: n. 1. New computer hardware, unadorned with such @@ -2363,24 +2363,24 @@ The Jargon Lexicon poorly designed to make it necessary; see {ill-behaved}). There, the term usually refers to bypassing the BIOS or OS interface and writing the application to directly access device - registers and machine addresses. "To get 19.2 kilobaud on the - serial port, you need to get down to the bare metal." People who + registers and machine addresses. To get 19.2 kilobaud on the + serial port, you need to get down to the bare metal. People who can do this sort of thing well are held in high regard. :barf: /barf/ [from mainstream slang meaning `vomit'] 1. interj. Term of disgust. This is the closest hackish - equivalent of the Val\-speak "gag me with a spoon". (Like, - euwww!) See {bletch}. 2. vi. To say "Barf!" or emit some - similar expression of disgust. "I showed him my latest hack and - he barfed" means only that he complained about it, not that he + equivalent of the Val\-speak gag me with a spoon. (Like, + euwww!) See {bletch}. 2. vi. To say Barf! or emit some + similar expression of disgust. I showed him my latest hack and + he barfed means only that he complained about it, not that he literally vomited. 3. vi. To fail to work because of unacceptable input, perhaps with a suitable error message, perhaps not. - Examples: "The division operation barfs if you try to divide by - 0." (That is, the division operation checks for an attempt to + Examples: The division operation barfs if you try to divide by + 0. (That is, the division operation checks for an attempt to divide by zero, and if one is encountered it causes the operation - to fail in some unspecified, but generally obvious, manner.) "The + to fail in some unspecified, but generally obvious, manner.) The text editor barfs if you try to read in a new file before writing - out the old one." See {choke}, {gag}. In Commonwealth + out the old one. See {choke}, {gag}. In Commonwealth hackish, `barf' is generally replaced by `puke' or `vom'. {barf} is sometimes also used as a {metasyntactic variable}, like {foo} or {bar}. @@ -2393,7 +2393,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :barfulation: /bar`fyoo-lay'sh*n/ interj. Variation of {barf} used around the Stanford area. An exclamation, expressing disgust. On seeing some particularly bad code one might exclaim, - "Barfulation! Who wrote this, Quux?" + Barfulation! Who wrote this, Quux? :barfulous: /bar'fyoo-l*s/ adj. (alt. `barfucious', /bar-fyoo-sh*s/) Said of something that would make anyone barf, @@ -2408,9 +2408,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :baroque: adj. Feature-encrusted; complex; gaudy; verging on excessive. Said of hardware or (esp.) software designs, this has many of the connotations of {elephantine} or {monstrosity} but is - less extreme and not pejorative in itself. "Metafont even has + less extreme and not pejorative in itself. Metafont even has features to introduce random variations to its letterform output. - Now *that* is baroque!" See also {rococo}. + Now *that* is baroque! See also {rococo}. :BASIC: [acronym, from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code] n. A programming language, originally designed for @@ -2433,12 +2433,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon as `batch mode' switches. A `batch file' is a series of instructions written to be handed to an interactive program running in batch mode. 2. Performance of dreary tasks all at one sitting. - "I finally sat down in batch mode and wrote out checks for all + I finally sat down in batch mode and wrote out checks for all those bills; I guess they'll turn the electricity back on next - week..." 3. `batching up': Accumulation of a number of small - tasks that can be lumped together for greater efficiency. "I'm - batching up those letters to send sometime" "I'm batching up - bottles to take to the recycling center." + week... 3. `batching up': Accumulation of a number of small + tasks that can be lumped together for greater efficiency. I'm + batching up those letters to send sometime I'm batching up + bottles to take to the recycling center. :bathtub curve: n. Common term for the curve (resembling an end-to-end section of one of those claw-footed antique bathtubs) @@ -2470,9 +2470,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon speed than the terminal is set to. *Really* experienced ones can identify particular speeds. -:baz: /baz/ n. 1. The third {metasyntactic variable} "Suppose we +:baz: /baz/ n. 1. The third {metasyntactic variable} Suppose we have three functions: FOO, BAR, and BAZ. FOO calls BAR, which - calls BAZ...." (See also {fum}) 2. interj. A term of mild + calls BAZ.... (See also {fum}) 2. interj. A term of mild annoyance. In this usage the term is often drawn out for 2 or 3 seconds, producing an effect not unlike the bleating of a sheep; /baaaaaaz/. 3. Occasionally appended to {foo} to produce @@ -2481,11 +2481,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Earlier versions of this lexicon derived `baz' as a Stanford corruption of {bar}. However, Pete Samson (compiler of the {TMRC} lexicon) reports it was already current when he joined TMRC - in 1958. He says "It came from `Pogo'. Albert the Alligator, + in 1958. He says It came from `Pogo'. Albert the Alligator, when vexed or outraged, would shout `Bazz Fazz!' or `Rowrbazzle!' The club layout was said to model the (mythical) New England counties of Rowrfolk and Bassex (Rowrbazzle mingled with - (Norfolk/Suffolk/Middlesex/Essex)." + (Norfolk/Suffolk/Middlesex/Essex). :bboard: /bee'bord/ [contraction of `bulletin board'] n. 1. Any electronic bulletin board; esp. used of {BBS} systems @@ -2501,8 +2501,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon In either of senses 1 or 2, the term is usually prefixed by the name of the intended board (`the Moonlight Casino bboard' or `market bboard'); however, if the context is clear, the better-read - bboards may be referred to by name alone, as in (at CMU) "Don't - post for-sale ads on general". + bboards may be referred to by name alone, as in (at CMU) Don't + post for-sale ads on general. :BBS: /B-B-S/ [abbreviation, `Bulletin Board System'] n. An electronic bulletin board system; that is, a message database where people can @@ -2517,7 +2517,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the personal-micro world who would otherwise be unable to exchange code at all. See also {bboard}. -:beam: [from Star Trek Classic's "Beam me up, Scotty!"] vt. To +:beam: [from Star Trek Classic's Beam me up, Scotty!] vt. To transfer {softcopy} of a file electronically; most often in combining forms such as `beam me a copy' or `beam that over to his site'. Compare {blast}, {snarf}, {BLT}. @@ -2534,9 +2534,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon organs] n. Features added to a program or system to make it more {flavorful} from a hacker's point of view, without necessarily adding to its utility for its primary function. Distinguished from - {chrome}, which is intended to attract users. "Now that we've + {chrome}, which is intended to attract users. Now that we've got the basic program working, let's go back and add some bells and - whistles." No one seems to know what distinguishes a bell from a + whistles. No one seems to know what distinguishes a bell from a whistle. :bells, whistles, and gongs: n. A standard elaborated form of @@ -2544,7 +2544,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon accent on the `gongs'. :benchmark: [techspeak] n. An inaccurate measure of computer - performance. "In the computer industry, there are three kinds of + performance. In the computer industry, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and benchmarks." Well-known ones include Whetstone, Dhrystone, Rhealstone (see {h}), the Gabriel LISP benchmarks (see {gabriel}), the SPECmark suite, and LINPACK. See @@ -2583,8 +2583,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon software often go through two stages of release testing: Alpha (in-house) and Beta (out-house?). Beta releases are generally made to a small number of lucky (or unlucky), trusted customers. - 2. Anything that is new and experimental. "His girlfriend is in - beta" means that he is still testing for compatibility and + 2. Anything that is new and experimental. His girlfriend is in + beta means that he is still testing for compatibility and reserving judgment. 3. Flaky; dubious; suspect (since beta software is notoriously buggy). @@ -2622,7 +2622,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :BIFF: /bif/ [USENET] n. The most famous {pseudo}, and the prototypical {newbie}. Articles from BIFF are characterized by all uppercase letters sprinkled liberally with bangs, typos, - `cute' misspellings (EVRY BUDY LUVS GOOD OLD BIFF CUZ HE"S A + `cute' misspellings (EVRY BUDY LUVS GOOD OLD BIFF CUZ HES A K00L DOOD AN HE RITES REEL AWESUM THINGZ IN CAPITULL LETTRS LIKE THIS!!!), use (and often misuse) of fragments of {talk mode} abbreviations, a long {sig block} (sometimes even a {doubled @@ -2635,7 +2635,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon [1993: Now It Can Be Told! My spies inform me that BIFF was originally created by Joe Talmadge , also the - author of the infamous and much-plagiarized "Flamer's Bible". + author of the infamous and much-plagiarized Flamer's Bible. The BIFF filter he wrote was later passed to Richard Sexton, who posted BIFFisms much more widely. Versions have since been posted for the amusement of the net at large. --- ESR] @@ -2663,8 +2663,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Big Red Switch: [IBM] n. The power switch on a computer, esp. the `Emergency Pull' switch on an IBM {mainframe} or the power switch - on an IBM PC where it really is large and red. "This !@%$% - {bitty box} is hung again; time to hit the Big Red Switch." + on an IBM PC where it really is large and red. This !@%$% + {bitty box} is hung again; time to hit the Big Red Switch. Sources at IBM report that, in tune with the company's passion for {TLA}s, this is often abbreviated as `BRS' (this has also become established on FidoNet and in the PC {clone} world). It @@ -2679,13 +2679,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Big Room, the: n. The extremely large room with the blue ceiling and intensely bright light (during the day) or black ceiling with lots of tiny night-lights (during the night) found outside all - computer installations. "He can't come to the phone right now, - he's somewhere out in the Big Room." + computer installations. He can't come to the phone right now, + he's somewhere out in the Big Room. -:big win: n. Serendipity. "Yes, those two physicists discovered +:big win: n. Serendipity. Yes, those two physicists discovered high-temperature superconductivity in a batch of ceramic that had been prepared incorrectly according to their experimental schedule. - Small mistake; big win!" See {win big}. + Small mistake; big win! See {win big}. :big-endian: [From Swift's `Gulliver's Travels' via the famous paper `On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace' by Danny Cohen, @@ -2709,8 +2709,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bignum: /big'nuhm/ [orig. from MIT MacLISP] n. 1. [techspeak] A multiple-precision computer representation for very large - integers. 2. More generally, any very large number. "Have you ever - looked at the United States Budget? There's bignums for you!" + integers. 2. More generally, any very large number. Have you ever + looked at the United States Budget? There's bignums for you! 3. [Stanford] In backgammon, large numbers on the dice especially a roll of double fives or double sixes (compare {moby}, sense 4). See also {El Camino Bignum}. @@ -2788,8 +2788,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon `Berkeley bigot'. Real bigots can be distinguished from mere partisans or zealots by the fact that they refuse to learn alternatives even when the march of time and/or technology is - threatening to obsolete the favored tool. It is truly said "You - can tell a bigot, but you can't tell him much." Compare + threatening to obsolete the favored tool. It is truly said You + can tell a bigot, but you can't tell him much. Compare {weenie}. :bit: [from the mainstream meaning and `Binary digIT'] n. @@ -2798,15 +2798,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon are equally probable. 2. [techspeak] A computational quantity that can take on one of two values, such as true and false or 0 and 1. 3. A mental flag: a reminder that something should be done - eventually. "I have a bit set for you." (I haven't seen you for + eventually. I have a bit set for you. (I haven't seen you for a while, and I'm supposed to tell or ask you something.) 4. More - generally, a (possibly incorrect) mental state of belief. "I have - a bit set that says that you were the last guy to hack on EMACS." - (Meaning "I think you were the last guy to hack on EMACS, and what + generally, a (possibly incorrect) mental state of belief. I have + a bit set that says that you were the last guy to hack on EMACS. + (Meaning I think you were the last guy to hack on EMACS, and what I am about to say is predicated on this, so please stop me if this - isn't true.") + isn't true.) - "I just need one bit from you" is a polite way of indicating that + I just need one bit from you is a polite way of indicating that you intend only a short interruption for a question that can presumably be answered yes or no. @@ -2845,9 +2845,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon and error-correcting codes, hash functions, some flavors of graphics programming (see {bitblt}), and assembler/compiler code generation. May connote either tedium or a real technical - challenge (more usually the former). "The command decoding for + challenge (more usually the former). The command decoding for the new tape driver looks pretty solid but the bit-bashing for the - control registers still has bugs." See also {bit bang}, + control registers still has bugs. See also {bit bang}, {mode bit}. :bit bucket: n. 1. The universal data sink (originally, the @@ -2862,11 +2862,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon 100% probability of getting delivered. Routing to the bit bucket is automatically performed by mail-transfer agents, news systems, and the lower layers of the network. 3. The ideal location for all - unwanted mail responses: "Flames about this article to the bit - bucket." Such a request is guaranteed to overflow one's mailbox - with flames. 4. Excuse for all mail that has not been sent. "I + unwanted mail responses: Flames about this article to the bit + bucket. Such a request is guaranteed to overflow one's mailbox + with flames. 4. Excuse for all mail that has not been sent. I mailed you those figures last week; they must have landed in the - bit bucket." Compare {black hole}. + bit bucket. Compare {black hole}. This term is used purely in jest. It is based on the fanciful notion that bits are objects that are not destroyed but only @@ -2932,10 +2932,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon high low bits bits 0000 0001 0010 0011 0100 0101 0110 0111 1000 1001 - 010 ! " # $ % & ' ( ) + 010 ! # $ % & ' ( ) 011 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - This is why the characters !"#$%&'() appear where they do on a + This is why the characters !#$%&'() appear where they do on a Teletype (thankfully, they didn't use shift-0 for space). This was *not* the weirdest variant of the {QWERTY} layout widely seen, by the way; that prize should probably go to one of several @@ -2978,11 +2978,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon annoying regularity. BITNET is also notorious as the apparent home of {BIFF}. -:bits: n.pl. 1. Information. Examples: "I need some bits about file - formats." ("I need to know about file formats.") Compare {core +:bits: n.pl. 1. Information. Examples: I need some bits about file + formats. (I need to know about file formats.) Compare {core dump}, sense 4. 2. Machine-readable representation of a document, - specifically as contrasted with paper: "I have only a photocopy - of the Jargon File; does anyone know where I can get the bits?". + specifically as contrasted with paper: I have only a photocopy + of the Jargon File; does anyone know where I can get the bits?. See {softcopy}, {source of all good bits} See also {bit}. :bitty box: /bit'ee boks/ n. 1. A computer sufficiently small, @@ -3013,8 +3013,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :black hole: n. What a piece of email or netnews has fallen into if it disappears mysteriously between its origin and destination sites - (that is, without returning a {bounce message}). "I think - there's a black hole at foovax!" conveys suspicion that site + (that is, without returning a {bounce message}). I think + there's a black hole at foovax! conveys suspicion that site foovax has been dropping a lot of stuff on the floor lately (see {drop on the floor}). The implied metaphor of email as interstellar travel is interesting in itself. Compare {bit @@ -3040,11 +3040,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bletch: /blech/ [from Yiddish/German `brechen', to vomit, poss. via comic-strip exclamation `blech'] interj. Term of disgust. - Often used in "Ugh, bletch". Compare {barf}. + Often used in Ugh, bletch. Compare {barf}. :bletcherous: /blech'*-r*s/ adj. Disgusting in design or function; esthetically unappealing. This word is seldom used of people. - "This keyboard is bletcherous!" (Perhaps the keys don't work very + This keyboard is bletcherous! (Perhaps the keys don't work very well, or are misplaced.) See {losing}, {cretinous}, {bagbiter}, {bogus}, and {random}. The term {bletcherous} applies to the esthetics of the thing so described; similarly for @@ -3080,7 +3080,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ATTENTION This room is fullfilled mit special electronische equippment. Fingergrabbing and pressing the cnoeppkes from the computers is - allowed for die experts only! So all the "lefthanders" stay away + allowed for die experts only! So all the lefthanders stay away and do not disturben the brainstorming von here working intelligencies. Otherwise you will be out thrown and kicked anderswhere! Also: please keep still and only watchen astaunished @@ -3091,15 +3091,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :blit: /blit/ vt. 1. To copy a large array of bits from one part of a computer's memory to another part, particularly when the memory is being used to determine what is shown on a display - screen. "The storage allocator picks through the table and copies + screen. The storage allocator picks through the table and copies the good parts up into high memory, and then blits it all back down - again." See {bitblt}, {BLT}, {dd}, {cat}, {blast}, + again. See {bitblt}, {BLT}, {dd}, {cat}, {blast}, {snarf}. More generally, to perform some operation (such as toggling) on a large array of bits while moving them. 2. Sometimes all-capitalized as `BLIT': an early experimental bit-mapped terminal designed by Rob Pike at Bell Labs, later commercialized as the AT&T 5620. (The folk etymology from `Bell Labs Intelligent - Terminal' is incorrect. Its creators liked to claim that "Blit" + Terminal' is incorrect. Its creators liked to claim that Blit stood for the Bacon, Lettuce, and Interactive Tomato.) :blitter: /blit'r/ n. A special-purpose chip or hardware system @@ -3110,7 +3110,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon blaster}. :blivet: /bliv'*t/ [allegedly from a World War II military term - meaning "ten pounds of manure in a five-pound bag"] n. 1. An + meaning ten pounds of manure in a five-pound bag] n. 1. An intractable problem. 2. A crucial piece of hardware that can't be fixed or replaced if it breaks. 3. A tool that has been hacked over by so many incompetent programmers that it has become an @@ -3136,13 +3136,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon within the database itself. :block: [from process scheduling terminology in OS theory] 1. vi. - To delay or sit idle while waiting for something. "We're blocking - until everyone gets here." Compare {busy-wait}. 2. `block - on' vt. To block, waiting for (something). "Lunch is blocked on - Phil's arrival." + To delay or sit idle while waiting for something. We're blocking + until everyone gets here. Compare {busy-wait}. 2. `block + on' vt. To block, waiting for (something). Lunch is blocked on + Phil's arrival. :block transfer computations: [from the television series - "Dr. Who"] n. Computations so fiendishly subtle and complex + Dr. Who] n. Computations so fiendishly subtle and complex that they could not be performed by machines. Used to refer to any task that should be expressible as an algorithm in theory, but isn't. @@ -3150,9 +3150,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Bloggs Family, the: n. An imaginary family consisting of Fred and Mary Bloggs and their children. Used as a standard example in knowledge representation to show the difference between extensional - and intensional objects. For example, every occurrence of "Fred - Bloggs" is the same unique person, whereas occurrences of - "person" may refer to different people. Members of the Bloggs + and intensional objects. For example, every occurrence of Fred + Bloggs is the same unique person, whereas occurrences of + person may refer to different people. Members of the Bloggs family have been known to pop up in bizarre places such as the DEC Telephone Directory. Compare {Mbogo, Dr. Fred}. @@ -3167,16 +3167,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon nondestructive. :blow away: vt. To remove (files and directories) from permanent - storage, generally by accident. "He reformatted the wrong - partition and blew away last night's netnews." Oppose {nuke}. + storage, generally by accident. He reformatted the wrong + partition and blew away last night's netnews. Oppose {nuke}. :blow out: [prob. from mining and tunneling jargon] vi. Of software, to fail spectacularly; almost as serious as {crash and burn}. See {blow past}, {blow up}, {die horribly}. -:blow past: vt. To {blow out} despite a safeguard. "The server blew - past the 5K reserve buffer." +:blow past: vt. To {blow out} despite a safeguard. The server blew + past the 5K reserve buffer. :blow up: vi. 1. [scientific computation] To become unstable. Suggests that the computation is diverging so rapidly that it will soon @@ -3210,8 +3210,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Blue Glue: [IBM] n. IBM's SNA (Systems Network Architecture), an incredibly {losing} and {bletcherous} communications protocol widely favored at commercial shops that don't know any better. The - official IBM definition is "that which binds blue boxes - together." See {fear and loathing}. It may not be irrelevant + official IBM definition is that which binds blue boxes + together. See {fear and loathing}. It may not be irrelevant that {Blue Glue} is the trade name of a 3M product that is commonly used to hold down the carpet squares to the removable panel floors common in {dinosaur pen}s. A correspondent at @@ -3233,9 +3233,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :blurgle: /bler'gl/ [Great Britain] n. Spoken {metasyntactic variable}, to indicate some text that is obvious from context, or which is already known. If several words are to be replaced, - blurgle may well be doubled or trebled. "To look for something in - several files use `grep string blurgle blurgle'." In each case, - "blurgle blurgle" would be understood to be replaced by the file + blurgle may well be doubled or trebled. To look for something in + several files use `grep string blurgle blurgle'. In each case, + blurgle blurgle would be understood to be replaced by the file you wished to search. Compare {mumble}, sense 6. :BNF: /B-N-F/ n. 1. [techspeak] Acronym for `Backus-Naur Form', a @@ -3247,16 +3247,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ::= - ::= | "." + ::= | . ::= [] | ::= [] - ::= "," + ::= , - This translates into English as: "A postal-address consists of a + This translates into English as: A postal-address consists of a name-part, followed by a street-address part, followed by a zip-code part. A personal-part consists of either a first name or an initial followed by a dot. A name-part consists of either: a @@ -3268,7 +3268,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon consists of an optional apartment specifier, followed by a street number, followed by a street name. A zip-part consists of a town-name, followed by a comma, followed by a state code, followed - by a ZIP-code followed by an end-of-line." Note that many things + by a ZIP-code followed by an end-of-line. Note that many things (such as the format of a personal-part, apartment specifier, or ZIP-code) are left unspecified. These are presumed to be obvious from context or detailed somewhere nearby. See also {parse}. @@ -3297,15 +3297,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :boat anchor: n. 1. Like {doorstop} but more severe; implies that the offending hardware is irreversibly dead or useless. - "That was a working motherboard once. One lightning strike later, - instant boat anchor!" 2. A person who just takes up space. + That was a working motherboard once. One lightning strike later, + instant boat anchor! 2. A person who just takes up space. 3. (affectionate) Obsolete but still working hardware, especially used of an old S100-bus hobbyist system; originally a term of annoyance, but became more and more affectionate as the hardware became more and more obsolete. -:BOF: /B-O-F/ or /bof/ n. Abbreviation for the phrase "Birds - Of a Feather" (flocking together), an informal discussion group +:BOF: /B-O-F/ or /bof/ n. Abbreviation for the phrase Birds + Of a Feather (flocking together), an informal discussion group and/or bull session scheduled on a conference program. It is not clear where or when this term originated, but it is now associated with the USENIX conferences for UNIX techies and was already @@ -3320,7 +3320,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the air, picking them up at random, and then testing whether they are in order. It serves as a sort of canonical example of awfulness. Looking at a program and seeing a dumb algorithm, one - might say "Oh, I see, this program uses bogo-sort." Compare + might say Oh, I see, this program uses bogo-sort. Compare {bogus}, {brute force}, {Lasherism}. :bogometer: /boh-gom'-*t-er/ n. A notional instrument for @@ -3331,14 +3331,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon doubtless reinforced after 1980 by the similarity to Douglas Adams's `Vogons'; see the Bibliography in {Appendix C}] n. 1. The elementary particle of bogosity (see {quantum - bogodynamics}). For instance, "the Ethernet is emitting bogons - again" means that it is broken or acting in an erratic or bogus + bogodynamics}). For instance, the Ethernet is emitting bogons + again means that it is broken or acting in an erratic or bogus fashion. 2. A query packet sent from a TCP/IP domain resolver to a root server, having the reply bit set instead of the query bit. 3. Any bogus or incorrectly formed packet sent on a network. 4. By - synecdoche, used to refer to any bogus thing, as in "I'd like to + synecdoche, used to refer to any bogus thing, as in I'd like to go to lunch with you but I've got to go to the weekly staff - bogon". 5. A person who is bogus or who says bogus things. This + bogon. 5. A person who is bogus or who says bogus things. This was historically the original usage, but has been overtaken by its derivative senses 1--4. See also {bogosity}, {bogus}; compare {psyton}, {fat electrons}, {magic smoke}. @@ -3349,11 +3349,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon and the futon (elementary particle of {randomness}). These are not so much live usages in themselves as examples of a live meta-usage: that is, it has become a standard joke or linguistic - maneuver to "explain" otherwise mysterious circumstances by inventing + maneuver to explain otherwise mysterious circumstances by inventing nonce particle names. And these imply nonce particle theories, with all their dignity or lack thereof (we might note parenthetically that - this is a generalization from "(bogus particle) theories" to "bogus - (particle theories)"!). Perhaps such particles are the modern-day + this is a generalization from (bogus particle) theories to bogus + (particle theories)!). Perhaps such particles are the modern-day equivalents of trolls and wood-nymphs as standard starting-points around which to construct explanatory myths. Of course, playing on an existing word (as in the `futon') yields additional flavor. @@ -3361,24 +3361,24 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bogon filter: /boh'gon fil'tr/ n. Any device, software or hardware, that limits or suppresses the flow and/or emission of bogons. - "Engineering hacked a bogon filter between the Cray and - the VAXen, and now we're getting fewer dropped packets." See + Engineering hacked a bogon filter between the Cray and + the VAXen, and now we're getting fewer dropped packets. See also {bogosity}, {bogus}. :bogon flux: /boh'gon fluhks/ n. A measure of a supposed field of {bogosity} emitted by a speaker, measured by a {bogometer}; as a speaker starts to wander into increasing bogosity a listener - might say "Warning, warning, bogon flux is rising". See + might say Warning, warning, bogon flux is rising. See {quantum bogodynamics}. :bogosity: /boh-go's*-tee/ n. 1. The degree to which something is {bogus}. At CMU, bogosity is measured with a {bogometer}; in a seminar, when a speaker says something bogus, a listener might - raise his hand and say "My bogometer just triggered". More - extremely, "You just pinned my bogometer" means you just said or + raise his hand and say My bogometer just triggered. More + extremely, You just pinned my bogometer means you just said or did something so outrageously bogus that it is off the scale, pinning the bogometer needle at the highest possible reading (one - might also say "You just redlined my bogometer"). The + might also say You just redlined my bogometer). The agreed-upon unit of bogosity is the microLenat /mi:k`roh-len'*t/ (uL); the consensus is that this is the largest unit practical for everyday use. 2. The potential field generated by a {bogon @@ -3388,7 +3388,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Historical note: The microLenat was invented as an attack against noted computer scientist Doug Lenat by a {tenured graduate student}. Doug had failed the student on an important exam for - giving only "AI is bogus" as his answer to the questions. The + giving only AI is bogus as his answer to the questions. The slur is generally considered unmerited, but it has become a running gag nevertheless. Some of Doug's friends argue that *of course* a microLenat is bogus, since it is only one millionth of a @@ -3406,16 +3406,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon jargon. See also {bogosity}, {bogus}. :bogue out: /bohg owt/ vi. To become bogus, suddenly and - unexpectedly. "His talk was relatively sane until somebody asked + unexpectedly. His talk was relatively sane until somebody asked him a trick question; then he bogued out and did nothing but - {flame} afterwards." See also {bogosity}, {bogus}. + {flame} afterwards. See also {bogosity}, {bogus}. -:bogus: adj. 1. Non-functional. "Your patches are bogus." - 2. Useless. "OPCON is a bogus program." 3. False. "Your - arguments are bogus." 4. Incorrect. "That algorithm is bogus." - 5. Unbelievable. "You claim to have solved the halting problem - for Turing Machines? That's totally bogus." 6. Silly. "Stop - writing those bogus sagas." +:bogus: adj. 1. Non-functional. Your patches are bogus. + 2. Useless. OPCON is a bogus program. 3. False. Your + arguments are bogus. 4. Incorrect. That algorithm is bogus. + 5. Unbelievable. You claim to have solved the halting problem + for Turing Machines? That's totally bogus. 6. Silly. Stop + writing those bogus sagas. Astrology is bogus. So is a bolt that is obviously about to break. So is someone who makes blatantly false claims to have solved a @@ -3432,15 +3432,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon slang, and it had gone mainstream by 1985. A correspondent from Cambridge reports, by contrast, that these uses of `bogus' grate on British nerves; in Britain the word means, rather specifically, - `counterfeit', as in "a bogus 10-pound note". + `counterfeit', as in a bogus 10-pound note. :Bohr bug: /bohr buhg/ [from quantum physics] n. A repeatable {bug}; one that manifests reliably under a possibly unknown but well-defined set of conditions. Antonym of {heisenbug}; see also {mandelbug}, {schroedinbug}. -:boink: /boynk/ [USENET: ascribed to the TV series "Cheers" - and "Moonlighting"] 1. To have sex with; compare {bounce}, +:boink: /boynk/ [USENET: ascribed to the TV series Cheers + and Moonlighting] 1. To have sex with; compare {bounce}, sense 3. (This is mainstream slang.) In Commonwealth hackish the variant `bonk' is more common. 2. After the original Peter Korn `Boinkon' {USENET} parties, used for almost any net social @@ -3452,7 +3452,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bomb: 1. v. General synonym for {crash} (sense 1) except that it is not used as a noun; esp. used of software or OS failures. - "Don't run Empire with less than 32K stack, it'll bomb." + Don't run Empire with less than 32K stack, it'll bomb. 2. n.,v. Atari ST and Macintosh equivalents of a UNIX `panic' or Amiga {guru} (sense 2), in which icons of little black-powder bombs or mushroom clouds are displayed, indicating that the system @@ -3466,8 +3466,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon is designed so as to enforce an author's theory of `right programming' even though said theory is demonstrably inadequate for systems hacking or even vanilla general-purpose programming. Often - abbreviated `B&D'; thus, one may speak of things "having the - B&D nature". See {{Pascal}}; oppose {languages of + abbreviated `B&D'; thus, one may speak of things having the + B&D nature. See {{Pascal}}; oppose {languages of choice}. :bonk/oif: /bonk/, /oyf/ interj. In the {MUD} community, it @@ -3497,8 +3497,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon The derivative `reboot' implies that the machine hasn't been down for long, or that the boot is a {bounce} intended to clear some state of {wedgitude}. This is sometimes used of human - thought processes, as in the following exchange: "You've lost - me." "OK, reboot. Here's the theory...." + thought processes, as in the following exchange: You've lost + me. OK, reboot. Here's the theory.... This term is also found in the variants `cold boot' (from power-off condition) and `warm boot' (with the CPU and all @@ -3506,15 +3506,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon crash). Another variant: `soft boot', reinitialization of only part of a - system, under control of other software still running: "If + system, under control of other software still running: If you're running the {mess-dos} emulator, control-alt-insert will cause a soft-boot of the emulator, while leaving the rest of the - system running." + system running. Opposed to this there is `hard boot', which connotes hostility - towards or frustration with the machine being booted: "I'll have - to hard-boot this losing Sun." "I recommend booting it - hard." One often hard-boots by performing a {power cycle}. + towards or frustration with the machine being booted: I'll have + to hard-boot this losing Sun. I recommend booting it + hard. One often hard-boots by performing a {power cycle}. Historical note: this term derives from `bootstrap loader', a short program that was read in from cards or paper tape, or toggled in @@ -3554,17 +3554,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon AI Lab in the 1970s had a volleyball court on the front lawn. From 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. was the scheduled maintenance time for the computer, so every afternoon at 5 would come over the intercom the - cry: "Now hear this: bounce, bounce!", followed by Brian McCune + cry: Now hear this: bounce, bounce!, followed by Brian McCune loudly bouncing a volleyball on the floor outside the offices of known volleyballers. 3. To engage in sexual intercourse; prob. from the expression `bouncing the mattress', but influenced by - Roo's psychosexually loaded "Try bouncing me, Tigger!" from the - "Winnie-the-Pooh" books. Compare {boink}. 4. To casually + Roo's psychosexually loaded Try bouncing me, Tigger! from the + Winnie-the-Pooh books. Compare {boink}. 4. To casually reboot a system in order to clear up a transient problem. Reported primarily among {VMS} users. 5. [VM/CMS programmers] - *Automatic* warm-start of a machine after an error. "I + *Automatic* warm-start of a machine after an error. I logged on this morning and found it had bounced 7 times during the - night" 6. [IBM] To {power cycle} a peripheral in order to reset + night 6. [IBM] To {power cycle} a peripheral in order to reset it. :bounce message: [UNIX] n. Notification message returned to sender @@ -3587,15 +3587,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :box: n. 1. A computer; esp. in the construction `foo box' where foo is some functional qualifier, like `graphics', or - the name of an OS (thus, `UNIX box', `MS-DOS box', etc.) "We + the name of an OS (thus, `UNIX box', `MS-DOS box', etc.) We preprocess the data on UNIX boxes before handing it up to the - mainframe." 2. [IBM] Without qualification but within an + mainframe. 2. [IBM] Without qualification but within an SNA-using site, this refers specifically to an IBM front-end processor or FEP /F-E-P/. An FEP is a small computer necessary to enable an IBM {mainframe} to communicate beyond the limits of the {dinosaur pen}. Typically used in expressions like the cry - that goes up when an SNA network goes down: "Looks like the - {box} has fallen over." (See {fall over}.) See also + that goes up when an SNA network goes down: Looks like the + {box} has fallen over. (See {fall over}.) See also {IBM}, {fear and loathing}, {fepped out}, {Blue Glue}. @@ -3622,7 +3622,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :boxology: /bok-sol'*-jee/ n. Syn. {ASCII art}. This term implies a more restricted domain, that of box-and-arrow drawings. - "His report has a lot of boxology in it." Compare + His report has a lot of boxology in it. Compare {macrology}. :bozotic: /boh-zoh'tik/ or /boh-zo'tik/ [from the name of a TV @@ -3639,9 +3639,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon about a particular topic or project. Typically used when someone is going to let a new party maintain a piece of code. Conceptually analogous to an operating system {core dump} in that it saves a - lot of useful {state} before an exit. "You'll have to + lot of useful {state} before an exit. You'll have to give me a brain dump on FOOBAR before you start your new job at - HackerCorp." See {core dump} (sense 4). At Sun, this is also + HackerCorp. See {core dump} (sense 4). At Sun, this is also known as `TOI' (transfer of information). :brain fart: n. The actual result of a {braino}, as opposed to @@ -3655,17 +3655,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon person responsible must have suffered brain damage, because he should have known better. Calling something brain-damaged is really bad; it also implies it is unusable, and that its failure to - work is due to poor design rather than some accident. "Only six + work is due to poor design rather than some accident. Only six monocase characters per file name? Now *that's* - brain-damaged!" 2. [esp. in the Mac world] May refer to free + brain-damaged! 2. [esp. in the Mac world] May refer to free demonstration software that has been deliberately crippled in some way so as not to compete with the commercial product it is intended to sell. Syn. {crippleware}. :brain-dead: adj. Brain-damaged in the extreme. It tends to imply terminal design failure rather than malfunction or simple - stupidity. "This comm program doesn't know how to send a break - --- how brain-dead!" + stupidity. This comm program doesn't know how to send a break + --- how brain-dead! :braino: /bray'no/ n. Syn. for {thinko}. See also {brain fart}. @@ -3683,8 +3683,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon leaves a trail of bread crumbs so as not to get lost in the woods. -:break: 1. vt. To cause to be {broken} (in any sense). "Your latest - patch to the editor broke the paragraph commands." 2. v. (of a +:break: 1. vt. To cause to be {broken} (in any sense). Your latest + patch to the editor broke the paragraph commands. 2. v. (of a program) To stop temporarily, so that it may debugged. The place where it stops is a `breakpoint'. 3. [techspeak] vi. To send an RS-232 break (two character widths of line high) over a serial comm @@ -3731,9 +3731,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bring X to its knees: v. To present a machine, operating system, piece of software, or algorithm with a load so extreme or - {pathological} that it grinds to a halt. "To bring a MicroVAX + {pathological} that it grinds to a halt. To bring a MicroVAX to its knees, try twenty users running {vi} --- or four running - {EMACS}." Compare {hog}. + {EMACS}. Compare {hog}. :brittle: adj. Said of software that is functional but easily broken by changes in operating environment or configuration, or by @@ -3766,7 +3766,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :broken arrow: [IBM] n. The error code displayed on line 25 of a 3270 terminal (or a PC emulating a 3270) for various kinds of - protocol violations and "unexpected" error conditions (including + protocol violations and unexpected error conditions (including connection to a {down} computer). On a PC, simulated with `->/_', with the two center characters overstruck. @@ -3782,8 +3782,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon in the {Real World} as well, these are usually called {angle brackets}.) -:Brooks's Law: prov. "Adding manpower to a late software project - makes it later" --- a result of the fact that the expected +:Brooks's Law: prov. Adding manpower to a late software project + makes it later --- a result of the fact that the expected advantage from splitting work among N programmers is O(N) (that is, proportional to N), but the complexity and communications cost associated with coordinating and then @@ -3792,7 +3792,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon IBM's OS/360 project and author of `The Mythical Man-Month' (Addison-Wesley, 1975, ISBN 0-201-00650-2), an excellent early book on software engineering. The myth in question has been most - tersely expressed as "Programmer time is fungible" and Brooks + tersely expressed as Programmer time is fungible and Brooks established conclusively that it is not. Hackers have never forgotten his advice; too often, {management} still does. See also {creationism}, {second-system effect}, @@ -3842,7 +3842,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon than are justified by the speed improvement. Ken Thompson, co-inventor of UNIX, is reported to have uttered the - epigram "When in doubt, use brute force". He probably intended + epigram When in doubt, use brute force. He probably intended this as a {ha ha only serious}, but the original UNIX kernel's preference for simple, robust, and portable algorithms over {brittle} `smart' ones does seem to have been a significant @@ -3857,8 +3857,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ways. Dogmatic adherence to design methodologies tends to encourage this sort of thing. Characteristic of early {larval stage} programming; unfortunately, many never outgrow it. Often - abbreviated BFI: "Gak, they used a {bubble sort}! That's - strictly from BFI." Compare {bogosity}. + abbreviated BFI: Gak, they used a {bubble sort}! That's + strictly from BFI. Compare {bogosity}. :BSD: /B-S-D/ n. [abbreviation for `Berkeley System Distribution'] a family of {{UNIX}} versions for the DEC {VAX} and PDP-11 @@ -3932,16 +3932,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon line overflows the buffer and trashes data beyond it. Good defensive programming would check for overflow on each character and stop accepting data when the buffer is full up. The term is - used of and by humans in a metaphorical sense. "What time did I - agree to meet you? My buffer must have overflowed." Or "If I - answer that phone my buffer is going to overflow." See also + used of and by humans in a metaphorical sense. What time did I + agree to meet you? My buffer must have overflowed. Or If I + answer that phone my buffer is going to overflow. See also {spam}, {overrun screw}. :bug: n. An unwanted and unintended property of a program or piece of hardware, esp. one that causes it to malfunction. Antonym of - {feature}. Examples: "There's a bug in the editor: it writes - things out backwards." "The system crashed because of a hardware - bug." "Fred is a winner, but he has a few bugs" (i.e., Fred is + {feature}. Examples: There's a bug in the editor: it writes + things out backwards. The system crashed because of a hardware + bug. Fred is a winner, but he has a few bugs (i.e., Fred is a good guy, but he has a few personality problems). Historical note: Admiral Grace Hopper (an early computing pioneer @@ -3958,9 +3958,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon `Annals of the History of Computing', Vol. 3, No. 3 (July 1981), pp. 285--286. - The text of the log entry (from September 9, 1947), reads "1545 + The text of the log entry (from September 9, 1947), reads 1545 Relay #70 Panel F (moth) in relay. First actual case of bug being - found". This wording establishes that the term was already + found. This wording establishes that the term was already in use at the time in its current specific sense --- and Hopper herself reports that the term `bug' was regularly applied to problems in radar electronics during WWII. @@ -3969,23 +3969,23 @@ The Jargon Lexicon established in Thomas Edison's time, and a more specific and rather modern use can be found in an electrical handbook from 1896 (`Hawkin's New Catechism of Electricity', Theo. Audel & Co.) - which says: "The term `bug' is used to a limited extent to + which says: The term `bug' is used to a limited extent to designate any fault or trouble in the connections or working of - electric apparatus." It further notes that the term is "said to + electric apparatus. It further notes that the term is said to have originated in quadruplex telegraphy and have been transferred - to all electric apparatus." + to all electric apparatus. The latter observation may explain a common folk etymology of the - term; that it came from telephone company usage, in which "bugs in - a telephone cable" were blamed for noisy lines. Though this + term; that it came from telephone company usage, in which bugs in + a telephone cable were blamed for noisy lines. Though this derivation seems to be mistaken, it may well be a distorted memory of a joke first current among *telegraph* operators more than a century ago! Actually, use of `bug' in the general sense of a disruptive event goes back to Shakespeare! In the first edition of Samuel Johnson's - dictionary one meaning of `bug' is "A frightful object; a - walking spectre"; this is traced to `bugbear', a Welsh term for + dictionary one meaning of `bug' is A frightful object; a + walking spectre; this is traced to `bugbear', a Welsh term for a variety of mythological monster which (to complete the circle) has recently been reintroduced into the popular lexicon through fantasy role-playing games. @@ -3993,11 +3993,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon In any case, in jargon the word almost never refers to insects. Here is a plausible conversation that never actually happened: - "There is a bug in this ant farm!" + There is a bug in this ant farm! - "What do you mean? I don't see any ants in it." + What do you mean? I don't see any ants in it. - "That's the bug." + That's the bug. [There has been a widespread myth that the original bug was moved to the Smithsonian, and an earlier version of this entry so @@ -4019,9 +4019,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :bug-compatible: adj. Said of a design or revision that has been badly compromised by a requirement to be compatible with {fossil}s or {misfeature}s in other programs or (esp.) - previous releases of itself. "MS-DOS 2.0 used \ as a path + previous releases of itself. MS-DOS 2.0 used \ as a path separator to be bug-compatible with some cretin's choice of / as an - option character in 1.0." + option character in 1.0. :bug-for-bug compatible: n. Same as {bug-compatible}, with the additional implication that much tedious effort went into ensuring @@ -4039,18 +4039,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon rare and valued quality. Syn. {armor-plated}. :bum: 1. vt. To make highly efficient, either in time or space, - often at the expense of clarity. "I managed to bum three more - instructions out of that code." "I spent half the night bumming - the interrupt code." In {elder days}, John McCarthy (inventor + often at the expense of clarity. I managed to bum three more + instructions out of that code. I spent half the night bumming + the interrupt code. In {elder days}, John McCarthy (inventor of {LISP}) used to compare some efficiency-obsessed hackers - among his students to "ski bums"; thus, optimization became - "program bumming", and eventually just "bumming". 2. To + among his students to ski bums; thus, optimization became + program bumming, and eventually just bumming. 2. To squeeze out excess; to remove something in order to improve whatever it was removed from (without changing function; this distinguishes the process from a {featurectomy}). 3. n. A small change to an algorithm, program, or hardware device to make it more - efficient. "This hardware bum makes the jump instruction - faster." Usage: now uncommon, largely superseded by v. {tune} + efficient. This hardware bum makes the jump instruction + faster. Usage: now uncommon, largely superseded by v. {tune} (and n. {tweak}, {hack}), though none of these exactly capture sense 2. All these uses are rare in Commonwealth hackish, because in the parent dialects of English `bum' is a rude synonym @@ -4061,11 +4061,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon index dummies in `for', `while', and `do-while' loops. -:burble: [from Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky"] v. Like {flame}, +:burble: [from Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky] v. Like {flame}, but connotes that the source is truly clueless and ineffectual (mere flamers can be competent). A term of deep contempt. - "There's some guy on the phone burbling about how he got a DISK - FULL error and it's all our comm software's fault." This + There's some guy on the phone burbling about how he got a DISK + FULL error and it's all our comm software's fault. This is mainstream slang in some parts of England. :buried treasure: n. A surprising piece of code found in some @@ -4073,9 +4073,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon to {bletcherous}, and has lain undiscovered only because it was functionally correct, however horrible it is. Used sarcastically, because what is found is anything *but* treasure. Buried - treasure almost always needs to be dug up and removed. "I just + treasure almost always needs to be dug up and removed. I just found that the scheduler sorts its queue using {bubble sort}! - Buried treasure!" + Buried treasure! :burn-in period: n. 1. A factory test designed to catch systems with {marginal} components before they get out the door; the @@ -4092,8 +4092,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :busy-wait: vi. Used of human behavior, conveys that the subject is busy waiting for someone or something, intends to move instantly as soon as it shows up, and thus cannot do anything else at the - moment. "Can't talk now, I'm busy-waiting till Bill gets off the - phone." + moment. Can't talk now, I'm busy-waiting till Bill gets off the + phone. Technically, `busy-wait' means to wait on an event by {spin}ning through a tight or timed-delay loop that polls for @@ -4107,14 +4107,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon programs thought to be executing tight loops of code. A program that is buzzing appears to be {catatonic}, but never gets out of catatonia, while a buzzing loop may eventually end of its own - accord. "The program buzzes for about 10 seconds trying to sort - all the names into order." See {spin}; see also {grovel}. + accord. The program buzzes for about 10 seconds trying to sort + all the names into order. See {spin}; see also {grovel}. 2. [ETA Systems] To test a wire or printed circuit trace for continuity by applying an AC rather than DC signal. Some wire faults will pass DC tests but fail a buzz test. 3. To process an array or list in sequence, doing the same thing to each element. - "This loop buzzes through the tz array looking for a terminator - type." + This loop buzzes through the tz array looking for a terminator + type. :BWQ: /B-W-Q/ [IBM: abbreviation, `Buzz Word Quotient'] The percentage of buzzwords in a speech or documents. Usually roughly @@ -4123,9 +4123,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :by hand: adv. 1. Said of an operation (especially a repetitive, trivial, and/or tedious one) that ought to be performed automatically by the computer, but which a hacker instead has to - step tediously through. "My mailer doesn't have a command to + step tediously through. My mailer doesn't have a command to include the text of the message I'm replying to, so I have to do it - by hand." This does not necessarily mean the speaker has to + by hand. This does not necessarily mean the speaker has to retype a copy of the message; it might refer to, say, dropping into a subshell from the mailer, making a copy of one's mailbox file, reading that into an editor, locating the top and bottom of @@ -4135,8 +4135,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon to delete the file. Compare {eyeball search}. 2. By extension, writing code which does something in an explicit or low-level way for which a presupplied library routine ought to have been - available. "This cretinous B-tree library doesn't supply a decent - iterator, so I'm having to walk the trees by hand." + available. This cretinous B-tree library doesn't supply a decent + iterator, so I'm having to walk the trees by hand. :byte:: /bi:t/ [techspeak] n. A unit of memory or data equal to the amount used to represent one character; on modern architectures @@ -4161,13 +4161,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon somewhere). See also {NUXI problem}. :bzzzt, wrong: /bzt rong/ [USENET/Internet] From a Robin Williams - routine in the movie "Dead Poets Society" spoofing radio or + routine in the movie Dead Poets Society spoofing radio or TV quiz programs, such as *Truth or Consequences*, where an incorrect answer earns one a blast from the buzzer and condolences from the interlocutor. A way of expressing mock-rude disagreement, usually immediately following an included quote from another - poster. The less abbreviated "*Bzzzzt*, wrong, but thank you for - playing" is also common; capitalization and emphasis of the + poster. The less abbreviated *Bzzzzt*, wrong, but thank you for + playing is also common; capitalization and emphasis of the buzzer sound varies. = C = @@ -4186,9 +4186,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon See also {languages of choice}, {indent style}. C is often described, with a mixture of fondness and disdain - varying according to the speaker, as "a language that combines + varying according to the speaker, as a language that combines all the elegance and power of assembly language with all the - readability and maintainability of assembly language". + readability and maintainability of assembly language. :C Programmer's Disease: n. The tendency of the undisciplined C programmer to set arbitrary but supposedly generous static limits @@ -4208,9 +4208,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :calculator: [Cambridge] n. Syn. for {bitty box}. :can: vt. To abort a job on a time-sharing system. Used esp. when the - person doing the deed is an operator, as in "canned from the - {{console}}". Frequently used in an imperative sense, as in "Can - that print job, the LPT just popped a sprocket!" Synonymous with + person doing the deed is an operator, as in canned from the + {{console}}. Frequently used in an imperative sense, as in Can + that print job, the LPT just popped a sprocket! Synonymous with {gun}. It is said that the ASCII character with mnemonic CAN (0011000) was used as a kill-job character on some early OSes. Alternatively, this may derive from mainstream slang `canned' for @@ -4222,8 +4222,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon indicates data corruption or a faulty algorithm; it is almost always handled by emitting a fatal error message and terminating or crashing, since there is little else that can be done. Some case - variant of "can't happen" is also often the text emitted if the - `impossible' error actually happens! Although "can't happen" + variant of can't happen is also often the text emitted if the + `impossible' error actually happens! Although can't happen events are genuinely infrequent in production code, programmers wise enough to check for them habitually are often surprised at how frequently they are triggered during development and how many @@ -4244,15 +4244,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon far more painful for the experienced hacker. [The overtones from the old Chevy Chase skit on Saturday Night Live - should not be overlooked. This was a "Jaws" parody. + should not be overlooked. This was a Jaws parody. Someone lurking outside an apartment door tries all kinds of bogus ways to get the occupant to open up, while ominous music plays in - the background. The last attempt is a half-hearted "Candygram!" + the background. The last attempt is a half-hearted Candygram! When the door is opened, a shark bursts in and chomps the poor occupant. There is a moral here for those attracted to candygrammars. Note that, in many circles, pretty much the same ones who remember Monty Python sketches, all it takes is the word - "Candygram!", suitably timed, to get people rolling on the + Candygram!, suitably timed, to get people rolling on the floor. --- GLS] :canonical: [historically, `according to religious law'] adj. The @@ -4290,7 +4290,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon stem from this instance of a defined and accepted body of work. Alongside this usage was the promulgation of `canons' (`rules') for the government of the Catholic Church. The techspeak usages - ("according to religious law") derive from this use of the Latin + (according to religious law) derive from this use of the Latin `canon'. Hackers invest this term with a playfulness that makes an ironic @@ -4300,9 +4300,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon using it as much as possible in his presence, and eventually it began to sink in. Finally, in one conversation, he used the word `canonical' in jargon-like fashion without thinking. Steele: - "Aha! We've finally got you talking jargon too!" Stallman: - "What did he say?" Steele: "Bob just used `canonical' in the - canonical way." + Aha! We've finally got you talking jargon too! Stallman: + What did he say? Steele: Bob just used `canonical' in the + canonical way. Of course, canonicality depends on context, but it is implicitly defined as the way *hackers* normally expect things to be. @@ -4334,7 +4334,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon military style landing strips in the hope of bringing the return of the god-like airplanes that brought such marvelous cargo during the war. Hackish usage probably derives from Richard Feynman's - characterization of certain practices as "cargo cult science" in + characterization of certain practices as cargo cult science in his book `Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman' (W. W. Norton & Co, New York 1985, ISBN 0-393-01921-7). @@ -4373,8 +4373,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon works for anyone else; esp. used when nobody can ever see what the guru is doing different from what J. Random Luser does. Compare {incantation}, {runes}, {examining the entrails}; - also see the AI koan about Tom Knight in "{A Selection - of AI Koans}" ({Appendix A}). + also see the AI koan about Tom Knight in {A Selection + of AI Koans} ({Appendix A}). :cat: [from `catenate' via {{UNIX}} `cat(1)'] vt. 1. [techspeak] To spew an entire file to the screen or some other @@ -4404,22 +4404,22 @@ The Jargon Lexicon computer doesn't even echo the letters back to the screen as you type, let alone do what you're asking it to do, then the computer is suffering from catatonia (possibly because it has crashed). - "There I was in the middle of a winning game of {nethack} and it - went catatonic on me! Aaargh!" Compare {buzz}. + There I was in the middle of a winning game of {nethack} and it + went catatonic on me! Aaargh! Compare {buzz}. :cd tilde: /C-D til-d*/ vi. To go home. From the UNIX C-shell and Korn-shell command `cd ~', which takes one to one's `$HOME' (`cd' with no arguments happens to do the same thing). By extension, may be used with other arguments; thus, over an electronic chat link, `cd ~coffee' would - mean "I'm going to the coffee machine." + mean I'm going to the coffee machine. :cdr: /ku'dr/ or /kuh'dr/ [from LISP] vt. To skip past the first item from a list of things (generalized from the LISP operation on binary tree structures, which returns a list consisting of all but the first element of its argument). In the - form `cdr down', to trace down a list of elements: "Shall we - cdr down the agenda?" Usage: silly. See also {loop through}. + form `cdr down', to trace down a list of elements: Shall we + cdr down the agenda? Usage: silly. See also {loop through}. Historical note: The instruction format of the IBM 7090 that hosted the original LISP implementation featured two 15-bit fields called @@ -4503,8 +4503,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon indirection, as in traversing a linked list or graph structure. Used esp. by programmers in C, where explicit pointers are a very common data type. This is techspeak, but it remains jargon when - used of human networks. "I'm chasing pointers. Bob said you - could tell me who to talk to about...." See {dangling + used of human networks. I'm chasing pointers. Bob said you + could tell me who to talk to about.... See {dangling pointer} and {snap}. 2. [Cambridge] `pointer chase' or `pointer hunt': The process of going through a {core dump} (sense 1), interactively or on a large piece of paper printed with @@ -4565,12 +4565,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Chinese Army technique: n. Syn. {Mongolian Hordes technique}. -:choke: v. 1. To reject input, often ungracefully. "NULs make System - V's `lpr(1)' choke." "I tried building an {EMACS} binary to - use {X}, but `cpp(1)' choked on all those `#define's." +:choke: v. 1. To reject input, often ungracefully. NULs make System + V's `lpr(1)' choke. I tried building an {EMACS} binary to + use {X}, but `cpp(1)' choked on all those `#define's. See {barf}, {gag}, {vi}. 2. [MIT] More generally, to fail at any endeavor, but with some flair or bravado; the popular definition is - "to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory." + to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. :chomp: vi. To {lose}; specifically, to chew on something of which more was bitten off than one can. Probably related to @@ -4581,11 +4581,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon open and close your hand rapidly to suggest a biting action (much like what Pac-Man does in the classic video game, though this pantomime seems to predate that). The gesture alone means `chomp - chomp' (see "{Verb Doubling}" in the "{Jargon - Construction}" section of the Prependices). The hand may be + chomp' (see {Verb Doubling} in the {Jargon + Construction} section of the Prependices). The hand may be pointed at the object of complaint, and for real emphasis you can use both hands at once. Doing this to a person is equivalent to - saying "You chomper!" If you point the gesture at yourself, it + saying You chomper! If you point the gesture at yourself, it is a humble but humorous admission of some failure. You might do this if someone told you that a program you had written had failed in some surprising way and you felt dumb for not having anticipated @@ -4608,20 +4608,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :chrome: [from automotive slang via wargaming] n. Showy features added to attract users but contributing little or nothing to - the power of a system. "The 3D icons in Motif are just chrome, - but they certainly are *pretty* chrome!" Distinguished from + the power of a system. The 3D icons in Motif are just chrome, + but they certainly are *pretty* chrome! Distinguished from {bells and whistles} by the fact that the latter are usually added to gratify developers' own desires for featurefulness. Often used as a term of contempt. -:chug: vi. To run slowly; to {grind} or {grovel}. "The disk is - chugging like crazy." +:chug: vi. To run slowly; to {grind} or {grovel}. The disk is + chugging like crazy. :Church of the SubGenius: n. A mutant offshoot of {Discordianism} launched in 1981 as a spoof of fundamentalist Christianity by the `Reverend' Ivan Stang, a brilliant satirist with a gift for promotion. Popular among hackers as a rich source - of bizarre imagery and references such as "Bob" the divine + of bizarre imagery and references such as Bob the divine drilling-equipment salesman, the Benevolent Space Xists, and the Stark Fist of Removal. Much SubGenius theory is concerned with the acquisition of the mystical substance or quality of {slack}. @@ -4657,20 +4657,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon may not hold any surprises but does things in a way that is reasonably intuitive and relatively easy to comprehend from the outside. The antonym is `grungy' or {crufty}. 2. v. To remove - unneeded or undesired files in a effort to reduce clutter: "I'm - cleaning up my account." "I cleaned up the garbage and now have - 100 Meg free on that partition." + unneeded or undesired files in a effort to reduce clutter: I'm + cleaning up my account. I cleaned up the garbage and now have + 100 Meg free on that partition. :CLM: /C-L-M/ [Sun: `Career Limiting Move'] 1. n. An action endangering one's future prospects of getting plum projects and - raises, and possibly one's job: "His Halloween costume was a - parody of his manager. He won the prize for `best CLM'." + raises, and possibly one's job: His Halloween costume was a + parody of his manager. He won the prize for `best CLM'. 2. adj. Denotes extreme severity of a bug, discovered by a customer and obviously missed earlier because of poor testing: - "That's a CLM bug!" + That's a CLM bug! -:clobber: vt. To overwrite, usually unintentionally: "I walked off - the end of the array and clobbered the stack." Compare {mung}, +:clobber: vt. To overwrite, usually unintentionally: I walked off + the end of the array and clobbered the stack. Compare {mung}, {scribble}, {trash}, and {smash the stack}. :clocks: n. Processor logic cycles, so called because each @@ -4682,13 +4682,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon is usually the relative times one is interested in when discussing the instruction set. Compare {cycle}. -:clone: n. 1. An exact duplicate: "Our product is a clone of - their product." Implies a legal reimplementation from +:clone: n. 1. An exact duplicate: Our product is a clone of + their product. Implies a legal reimplementation from documentation or by reverse-engineering. Also connotes lower - price. 2. A shoddy, spurious copy: "Their product is a - clone of our product." 3. A blatant ripoff, most likely violating - copyright, patent, or trade secret protections: "Your - product is a clone of my product." This use implies legal + price. 2. A shoddy, spurious copy: Their product is a + clone of our product. 3. A blatant ripoff, most likely violating + copyright, patent, or trade secret protections: Your + product is a clone of my product. This use implies legal action is pending. 4. `PC clone:' a PC-BUS/ISA or EISA-compatible 80x86-based microcomputer (this use is sometimes spelled `klone' or `PClone'). These invariably have much @@ -4697,9 +4697,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon a UNIX-lookalike environment without UNIX license fees, or with additional `mission-critical' features such as support for real-time programming. 6. v. To make an exact copy of something. - "Let me clone that" might mean "I want to borrow that paper so I - can make a photocopy" or "Let me get a copy of that file before - you {mung} it". + Let me clone that might mean I want to borrow that paper so I + can make a photocopy or Let me get a copy of that file before + you {mung} it. :clover key: [Mac users] n. See {feature key}. @@ -4722,8 +4722,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon language requires code verbose beyond all reason (see {candygrammar}); thus it is alleged that programming too much in COBOL causes one's fingers to wear down to stubs by the endless - typing. "I refuse to type in all that source code again; it would - give me COBOL fingers!" + typing. I refuse to type in all that source code again; it would + give me COBOL fingers! :code grinder: n. 1. A {suit}-wearing minion of the sort hired in legion strength by banks and insurance companies to implement @@ -4747,15 +4747,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon rules. May be used either seriously, to underline a claim that a particular style violation is dangerous, or ironically, to suggest that the practice under discussion is condemned mainly by - anal-retentive {weenie}s. "Dike out that goto or the code - police will get you!" The ironic usage is perhaps more common. + anal-retentive {weenie}s. Dike out that goto or the code + police will get you! The ironic usage is perhaps more common. :codewalker: n. A program component that traverses other programs for a living. Compilers have codewalkers in their front ends; so do cross-reference generators and some database front ends. Other utility programs that try to do too much with source code may turn - into codewalkers. As in "This new `vgrind' feature would require a - codewalker to implement." + into codewalkers. As in This new `vgrind' feature would require a + codewalker to implement. :coefficient of X: n. Hackish speech makes heavy use of pseudo-math-ema-tic-al metaphors. Four particularly important @@ -4771,8 +4771,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon fudging; the term simply acknowledges that some fudging is needed. You might talk of liking a movie for its silliness factor. Quotient tends to imply that the property is a ratio of two - opposing factors: "I would have won except for my luck quotient." - This could also be "I would have won except for the luck factor", + opposing factors: I would have won except for my luck quotient. + This could also be I would have won except for the luck factor, but using *quotient* emphasizes that it was bad luck overpowering good luck (or someone else's good luck overpowering your own). @@ -4891,8 +4891,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {fish}, and so on and on (see {foo}, sense 4). Alternatives to verb doubling include suffixes `-o-rama', - `frenzy' (as in feeding frenzy), and `city' (examples: "barf - city!" "hack-o-rama!" "core dump frenzy!"). Finally, note + `frenzy' (as in feeding frenzy), and `city' (examples: barf + city! hack-o-rama! core dump frenzy!). Finally, note that the American terms `parens', `brackets', and `braces' for (), [], and {} are uncommon; Commonwealth hackish prefers `brackets', `square brackets', and `curly brackets'. Also, the @@ -4930,8 +4930,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon C implementation of compression by James A. Woods et al. and widely circulated via {USENET}; use of {crunch} itself in this sense is rare among UNIX hackers. Specifically, compress is - built around the Lempel-Ziv-Welch algorithm as described in "A - Technique for High Performance Data Compression", Terry A. Welch, + built around the Lempel-Ziv-Welch algorithm as described in A + Technique for High Performance Data Compression, Terry A. Welch, `IEEE Computer', vol. 17, no. 6 (June 1984), pp. 8--19. :Compu$erve: n. See {CI$}. Synonyms CompuSpend and @@ -4959,8 +4959,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :computron: /kom'pyoo-tron`/ n. 1. A notional unit of computing power combining instruction speed and storage capacity, dimensioned roughly in instructions-per-second times megabytes-of-main-store - times megabytes-of-mass-storage. "That machine can't run GNU - EMACS, it doesn't have enough computrons!" This usage is usually + times megabytes-of-mass-storage. That machine can't run GNU + EMACS, it doesn't have enough computrons! This usage is usually found in metaphors that treat computing power as a fungible commodity good, like a crop yield or diesel horsepower. See {bitty box}, {Get a real computer!}, {toy}, {crank}. @@ -4978,16 +4978,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon computron beam. It is believed that this may also explain why machines that work at the factory fail in the computer room: the computrons there have been all used up by the other hardware. - (This theory probably owes something to the "Warlock" stories - by Larry Niven, the best known being "What Good is a Glass - Dagger?", in which magic is fueled by an exhaustible natural + (This theory probably owes something to the Warlock stories + by Larry Niven, the best known being What Good is a Glass + Dagger?, in which magic is fueled by an exhaustible natural resource called `mana'.) :con: [from SF fandom] n. A science-fiction convention. Not used of other sorts of conventions, such as professional meetings. This term, unlike many others of SF-fan slang, is widely recognized even - by hackers who aren't {fan}s. "We'd been corresponding on the - net for months, then we met face-to-face at a con." . + by hackers who aren't {fan}s. We'd been corresponding on the + net for months, then we met face-to-face at a con. . :condition out: vt. To prevent a section of code from being compiled by surrounding it with a conditional-compilation directive @@ -5035,13 +5035,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon In these latter days of open-systems computing this term has fallen somewhat into disuse, to be replaced by the observation that - "Standards are great! There are so *many* of them to choose - from!" Compare {backward combatability}. + Standards are great! There are so *many* of them to choose + from! Compare {backward combatability}. :cons: /konz/ or /kons/ [from LISP] 1. vt. To add a new element - to a specified list, esp. at the top. "OK, cons picking a - replacement for the console TTY onto the agenda." 2. `cons up': - vt. To synthesize from smaller pieces: "to cons up an example". + to a specified list, esp. at the top. OK, cons picking a + replacement for the console TTY onto the agenda. 2. `cons up': + vt. To synthesize from smaller pieces: to cons up an example. In LISP itself, `cons' is the most fundamental operation for building structures. It takes any two objects and returns a @@ -5052,14 +5052,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon jargon meanings spring from. :considered harmful: adj. Edsger W. Dijkstra's note in the - March 1968 `Communications of the ACM', "Goto Statement - Considered Harmful", fired the first salvo in the structured + March 1968 `Communications of the ACM', Goto Statement + Considered Harmful, fired the first salvo in the structured programming wars. Amusingly, the ACM considered the resulting acrimony sufficiently harmful that it will (by policy) no longer print an article taking so assertive a position against a coding practice. In the ensuing decades, a large number of both serious - papers and parodies have borne titles of the form "X - considered Y". The structured-programming wars eventually blew + papers and parodies have borne titles of the form X + considered Y. The structured-programming wars eventually blew over with the realization that both sides were wrong, but use of such titles has remained as a persistent minor in-joke (the `considered silly' found at various places in this lexicon is @@ -5086,39 +5086,39 @@ The Jargon Lexicon over substance or are centered on concerns irrelevant to the subject ostensibly at hand. Perhaps most used with reference to speeches by company presidents and other professional manipulators. - "Content-free? Uh... that's anything printed on glossy - paper." (See also {four-color glossies}.) "He gave a talk on + Content-free? Uh... that's anything printed on glossy + paper. (See also {four-color glossies}.) He gave a talk on the implications of electronic networks for postmodernism and the - fin-de-siecle aesthetic. It was content-free." + fin-de-siecle aesthetic. It was content-free. -:control-C: vi. 1. "Stop whatever you are doing." From the +:control-C: vi. 1. Stop whatever you are doing. From the interrupt character used on many operating systems to abort a running program. Considered silly. 2. interj. Among BSD UNIX - hackers, the canonical humorous response to "Give me a break!" + hackers, the canonical humorous response to Give me a break! -:control-O: vi. "Stop talking." From the character used on some +:control-O: vi. Stop talking. From the character used on some operating systems to abort output but allow the program to keep on running. Generally means that you are not interested in hearing anything more from that person, at least on that topic; a standard response to someone who is flaming. Considered silly. Compare {control-S}. -:control-Q: vi. "Resume." From the ASCII DC1 or {XON} +:control-Q: vi. Resume. From the ASCII DC1 or {XON} character (the pronunciation /X-on/ is therefore also used), used to undo a previous {control-S}. -:control-S: vi. "Stop talking for a second." From the ASCII DC3 +:control-S: vi. Stop talking for a second. From the ASCII DC3 or XOFF character (the pronunciation /X-of/ is therefore also used). Control-S differs from {control-O} in that the person is asked to stop talking (perhaps because you are on the phone) but will be allowed to continue when you're ready to listen to him --- as opposed to control-O, which has more of the meaning of - "Shut up." Considered silly. + Shut up. Considered silly. :Conway's Law: prov. The rule that the organization of the software and the organization of the software team will be congruent; originally - stated as "If you have four groups working on a compiler, you'll - get a 4-pass compiler". + stated as If you have four groups working on a compiler, you'll + get a 4-pass compiler. Melvin Conway, an early proto-hacker who wrote an assembler for the Burroughs 220 called SAVE. The name `SAVE' didn't stand for @@ -5149,8 +5149,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon preprocessing before presenting data to a program. :cookie: n. A handle, transaction ID, or other token of agreement - between cooperating programs. "I give him a packet, he gives me - back a cookie." The claim check you get from a dry-cleaning shop + between cooperating programs. I give him a packet, he gives me + back a cookie. The claim check you get from a dry-cleaning shop is a perfect mundane example of a cookie; the only thing it's useful for is to relate a later transaction to this one (so you get the same clothes back). Compare {magic cookie}; see also @@ -5170,26 +5170,26 @@ The Jargon Lexicon number} in the jar. Programs can inquire after the presence or otherwise of other programs by searching the contents of the jar. -:cookie monster: [from the children's TV program "Sesame - Street"] n. Any of a family of early (1970s) hacks reported on +:cookie monster: [from the children's TV program Sesame + Street] n. Any of a family of early (1970s) hacks reported on {{TOPS-10}}, {{ITS}}, {{Multics}}, and elsewhere that would lock up either the victim's terminal (on a time-sharing machine) or the - {{console}} (on a batch {mainframe}), repeatedly demanding "I - WANT A COOKIE". The required responses ranged in complexity from - "COOKIE" through "HAVE A COOKIE" and upward. See also + {{console}} (on a batch {mainframe}), repeatedly demanding I + WANT A COOKIE. The required responses ranged in complexity from + COOKIE through HAVE A COOKIE and upward. See also {wabbit}. :copious free time: [Apple; orig. fr. the intro to Tom Lehrer's - song "It Makes A Fellow Proud To Be A Soldier"] n. 1. [used + song It Makes A Fellow Proud To Be A Soldier] n. 1. [used ironically to indicate the speaker's lack of the quantity in question] A mythical schedule slot for accomplishing tasks held to be unlikely or impossible. Sometimes used to indicate that the speaker is interested in accomplishing the task, but believes that - the opportunity will not arise. "I'll implement the automatic - layout stuff in my copious free time." 2. [Archly] Time reserved + the opportunity will not arise. I'll implement the automatic + layout stuff in my copious free time. 2. [Archly] Time reserved for bogus or otherwise idiotic tasks, such as implementation of - {chrome}, or the stroking of {suit}s. "I'll get back to him - on that feature in my copious free time." + {chrome}, or the stroking of {suit}s. I'll get back to him + on that feature in my copious free time. :copper: n. Conventional electron-carrying network cable with a core conductor of copper --- or aluminum! Opposed to {light @@ -5233,14 +5233,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon 1. [techspeak] A copy of the contents of {core}, produced when a process is aborted by certain kinds of internal error. 2. By extension, used for humans passing out, vomiting, or registering - extreme shock. "He dumped core. All over the floor. What a - mess." "He heard about X and dumped core." 3. Occasionally + extreme shock. He dumped core. All over the floor. What a + mess. He heard about X and dumped core. 3. Occasionally used for a human rambling on pointlessly at great length; esp. in - apology: "Sorry, I dumped core on you". 4. A recapitulation of + apology: Sorry, I dumped core on you. 4. A recapitulation of knowledge (compare {bits}, sense 1). Hence, spewing all one knows about a topic (syn. {brain dump}), esp. in a lecture or - answer to an exam question. "Short, concise answers are better - than core dumps" (from the instructions to an exam at Columbia). + answer to an exam question. Short, concise answers are better + than core dumps (from the instructions to an exam at Columbia). See {core}. :core leak: n. Syn. {memory leak}. @@ -5260,9 +5260,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :cosmic rays: n. Notionally, the cause of {bit rot}. However, this is a semi-independent usage that may be invoked as a humorous way to {handwave} away any minor {randomness} that doesn't seem worth the - bother of investigating. "Hey, Eric --- I just got a burst of - garbage on my {tube}, where did that come from?" "Cosmic rays, I - guess." Compare {sunspots}, {phase of the moon}. The British seem + bother of investigating. Hey, Eric --- I just got a burst of + garbage on my {tube}, where did that come from? Cosmic rays, I + guess. Compare {sunspots}, {phase of the moon}. The British seem to prefer the usage `cosmic showers'; `alpha particles' is also heard, because stray alpha particles passing through a memory chip can cause single-bit errors (this becomes increasingly more likely @@ -5287,8 +5287,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :cough and die: v. Syn. {barf}. Connotes that the program is throwing its hands up by design rather than because of a bug or - oversight. "The parser saw a control-A in its input where it was - looking for a printable, so it coughed and died." Compare + oversight. The parser saw a control-A in its input where it was + looking for a printable, so it coughed and died. Compare {die}, {die horribly}, {scream and die}. :cowboy: [Sun, from William Gibson's {cyberpunk} SF] n. Synonym @@ -5312,7 +5312,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (Impossible to Program Machines) to conquer and destroy the peaceful denizens of HEC (Human Engineered Computers). This rather transparent allegory featured many references to {ADVENT} and - the immortal line "Eat flaming death, minicomputer mongrels!" + the immortal line Eat flaming death, minicomputer mongrels! (uttered, of course, by an IPM stormtrooper). It is alleged that the author subsequently received a letter of appreciation on IBM company stationery from the head of IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research @@ -5360,9 +5360,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon hackers. :crank: [from automotive slang] vt. Verb used to describe the - performance of a machine, especially sustained performance. "This + performance of a machine, especially sustained performance. This box cranks (or, cranks at) about 6 megaflops, with a burst mode - of twice that on vectorized operations." + of twice that on vectorized operations. :CrApTeX: /krap'tekh/ [University of York, England] n. Term of abuse used to describe TeX and LaTeX when they don't work (when @@ -5375,21 +5375,21 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :crash: 1. n. A sudden, usually drastic failure. Most often said of the {system} (q.v., sense 1), esp. of magnetic disk drives (the term originally described what happened when the air gap of a - hard disk collapses). "Three {luser}s lost their files in last - night's disk crash." A disk crash that involves the read/write + hard disk collapses). Three {luser}s lost their files in last + night's disk crash. A disk crash that involves the read/write heads dropping onto the surface of the disks and scraping off the oxide may also be referred to as a `head crash', whereas the term `system crash' usually, though not always, implies that the operating system or other software was at fault. 2. v. To fail - suddenly. "Has the system just crashed?" "Something crashed - the OS!" See {down}. Also used transitively to indicate the + suddenly. Has the system just crashed? Something crashed + the OS! See {down}. Also used transitively to indicate the cause of the crash (usually a person or a program, or both). - "Those idiots playing {SPACEWAR} crashed the system." 3. vi. + Those idiots playing {SPACEWAR} crashed the system. 3. vi. Sometimes said of people hitting the sack after a long {hacking run}; see {gronk out}. :crash and burn: vi.,n. A spectacular crash, in the mode of the - conclusion of the car-chase scene in the movie "Bullitt" and + conclusion of the car-chase scene in the movie Bullitt and many subsequent imitators (compare {die horribly}). Sun-3 monitors losing the flyback transformer and lightning strikes on VAX-11/780 backplanes are notable crash and burn generators. The @@ -5403,9 +5403,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon kept obstinately alive by forces beyond the control of the hackers at a site. Like {dusty deck} or {gonkulator}, but connotes that the thing described is not just an irritation but an active - menace to health and sanity. "Mostly we code new stuff in C, but + menace to health and sanity. Mostly we code new stuff in C, but they pay us to maintain one big FORTRAN II application from - nineteen-sixty-X that's a real crawling horror...." Compare + nineteen-sixty-X that's a real crawling horror.... Compare {WOMBAT}. :cray: /kray/ n. 1. (properly, capitalized) One of the line of @@ -5467,11 +5467,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :creeping featurism: /kree'ping fee'chr-izm/ n. 1. Describes a systematic tendency to load more {chrome} and {feature}s onto systems at the expense of whatever elegance they may have possessed - when originally designed. See also {feeping creaturism}. "You + when originally designed. See also {feeping creaturism}. You know, the main problem with {BSD} UNIX has always been creeping - featurism." 2. More generally, the tendency for anything + featurism. 2. More generally, the tendency for anything complicated to become even more complicated because people keep - saying "Gee, it would be even better if it had this feature too". + saying Gee, it would be even better if it had this feature too. (See {feature}.) The result is usually a patchwork because it grew one ad-hoc step at a time, rather than being planned. Planning is a lot of work, but it's easy to add just one extra @@ -5565,8 +5565,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :crudware: /kruhd'weir/ n. Pejorative term for the hundreds of megabytes of low-quality {freeware} circulated by user's groups - and BBS systems in the micro-hobbyist world. "Yet *another* - set of disk catalog utilities for {{MS-DOS}}? What crudware!" + and BBS systems in the micro-hobbyist world. Yet *another* + set of disk catalog utilities for {{MS-DOS}}? What crudware! :cruft: /kruhft/ [back-formation from {crufty}] 1. n. An unpleasant substance. The dust that gathers under your bed is @@ -5587,9 +5587,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :cruft together: vt. (also `cruft up') To throw together something ugly but temporarily workable. Like vt. {kluge up}, - but more pejorative. "There isn't any program now to reverse all + but more pejorative. There isn't any program now to reverse all the lines of a file, but I can probably cruft one together in about - 10 minutes." See {hack together}, {hack up}, {kluge up}, + 10 minutes. See {hack together}, {hack up}, {kluge up}, {crufty}. :cruftsmanship: /kruhfts'm*n-ship / n. [from {cruft}] The @@ -5597,7 +5597,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :crufty: /kruhf'tee/ [origin unknown; poss. from `crusty'] adj. 1. Poorly built, possibly over-complex. The {canonical} - example is "This is standard old crufty DEC software". In fact, + example is This is standard old crufty DEC software. In fact, one fanciful theory of the origin of `crufty' holds that was originally a mutation of `crusty' applied to DEC software so old that the `s' characters were tall and skinny, looking more like @@ -5605,9 +5605,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon encrusted junk. Like spilled coffee smeared with peanut butter and catsup. 3. Generally unpleasant. 4. (sometimes spelled `cruftie') n. A small crufty object (see {frob}); often one - that doesn't fit well into the scheme of things. "A LISP property + that doesn't fit well into the scheme of things. A LISP property list is a good place to store crufties (or, collectively, - {random} cruft)." + {random} cruft). :crumb: n. Two binary digits; a {quad}. Larger than a {bit}, smaller than a {nybble}. Considered silly. Syn. {tayste}. @@ -5616,7 +5616,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon complicated way. Connotes an essentially trivial operation that is nonetheless painful to perform. The pain may be due to the triviality's being embedded in a loop from 1 to 1,000,000,000. - "FORTRAN programs do mostly {number-crunching}." 2. vt. To + FORTRAN programs do mostly {number-crunching}. 2. vt. To reduce the size of a file by a complicated scheme that produces bit configurations completely unrelated to the original data, such as by a Huffman code. (The file ends up looking something like a @@ -5659,12 +5659,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon console'. :cube: n. 1. [short for `cubicle'] A module in the open-plan - offices used at many programming shops. "I've got the manuals in - my cube." 2. A NeXT machine (which resembles a matte-black cube). + offices used at many programming shops. I've got the manuals in + my cube. 2. A NeXT machine (which resembles a matte-black cube). :cubing: [parallel with `tubing'] vi. 1. Hacking on an IPSC (Intel - Personal SuperComputer) hypercube. "Louella's gone cubing - *again*!!" 2. Hacking Rubik's Cube or related puzzles, + Personal SuperComputer) hypercube. Louella's gone cubing + *again*!! 2. Hacking Rubik's Cube or related puzzles, either physically or mathematically. 3. An indescribable form of self-torture (see sense 1 or 2). @@ -5672,8 +5672,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of the form `pen dipped in X' (perhaps the most common values of X are `acid', `bile', and `vitriol'). These map over neatly to this hackish usage (the cursor being what moves, leaving letters behind, - when one is composing on-line). "Talk about a {nastygram}! He - must've had his cursor dipped in acid when he wrote that one!" + when one is composing on-line). Talk about a {nastygram}! He + must've had his cursor dipped in acid when he wrote that one! :cuspy: /kuhs'pee/ [WPI: from the DEC abbreviation CUSP, for `Commonly Used System Program', i.e., a utility program used by many people] @@ -5695,7 +5695,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon manufacturing an old-style vinyl record involved cutting grooves in a stamping die with a precision lathe. More mundanely, the dominant technology for mass duplication of paper documents in - pre-photocopying days involved "cutting a stencil", punching away + pre-photocopying days involved cutting a stencil, punching away portions of the wax overlay on a silk screen. More directly, paper tape with holes punched in it was an important early storage medium. @@ -5708,14 +5708,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon and/or editor Gardner Dozois] n.,adj. A subgenre of SF launched in 1982 by William Gibson's epoch-making novel `Neuromancer' (though its roots go back through Vernor Vinge's `True Names' - (see "{True Names ... and Other Dangers}" in + (see {True Names ... and Other Dangers} in appendix C) to John Brunner's 1975 novel `The Shockwave Rider'). Gibson's near-total ignorance of computers and the present-day hacker culture enabled him to speculate about the role of computers and hackers in the future in ways hackers have since - found both irritatingly na"ive and tremendously stimulating. + found both irritatingly naive and tremendously stimulating. Gibson's work was widely imitated, in particular by the short-lived - but innovative "Max Headroom" TV series. See + but innovative Max Headroom TV series. See {cyberspace}, {ice}, {jack in}, {go flatline}. :cyberspace: /si:'ber-spays/ n. 1. Notional `information-space' @@ -5739,7 +5739,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :cycle: 1. n. The basic unit of computation. What every hacker wants more of (noted hacker Bill Gosper describes himself as a - "cycle junkie"). One can describe an instruction as taking so + cycle junkie). One can describe an instruction as taking so many `clock cycles'. Often the computer can access its memory once on every clock cycle, and so one speaks also of `memory cycles'. These are technical meanings of {cycle}. The @@ -5751,11 +5751,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon more cycles: so he can spend less time waiting for the computer to respond. 2. By extension, a notional unit of *human* thought power, emphasizing that lots of things compete for the typical - hacker's think time. "I refused to get involved with the Rubik's + hacker's think time. I refused to get involved with the Rubik's Cube back when it was big. Knew I'd burn too many cycles on it if - I let myself." 3. vt. Syn. {bounce}, {120 reset}; from the - phrase `cycle power'. "Cycle the machine again, that serial port's - still hung." + I let myself. 3. vt. Syn. {bounce}, {120 reset}; from the + phrase `cycle power'. Cycle the machine again, that serial port's + still hung. :cycle crunch: n. A situation wherein the number of people trying to use a computer simultaneously has reached the point where no one @@ -5771,9 +5771,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :cycle drought: n. A scarcity of cycles. It may be due to a {cycle crunch}, but it could also occur because part of the computer is temporarily not working, leaving fewer cycles to go around. - "The {high moby} is {down}, so we're running with only + The {high moby} is {down}, so we're running with only half the usual amount of memory. There will be a cycle drought - until it's fixed." + until it's fixed. :cycle of reincarnation: [coined by Ivan Sutherland ca. 1970] n. Term used to refer to a well-known effect whereby function in a @@ -5834,22 +5834,22 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the other coast is a dangling pointer. :dark-side hacker: n. A criminal or malicious hacker; a - {cracker}. From George Lucas's Darth Vader, "seduced by the - dark side of the Force". The implication that hackers form a + {cracker}. From George Lucas's Darth Vader, seduced by the + dark side of the Force. The implication that hackers form a sort of elite of technological Jedi Knights is intended. Oppose {samurai}. :Datamation: /day`t*-may'sh*n/ n. A magazine that many hackers assume all {suit}s read. Used to question an unbelieved quote, - as in "Did you read that in `Datamation?'" It used to + as in Did you read that in `Datamation?' It used to publish something hackishly funny every once in a while, like the - original paper on {COME FROM} in 1973, and Ed Post's "Real - Programmers Don't Use Pascal" ten years later, but it has since + original paper on {COME FROM} in 1973, and Ed Post's Real + Programmers Don't Use Pascal ten years later, but it has since become much more exclusively {suit}-oriented and boring. -:DAU: /dow/ [German Fidonet] n. German acronym for D"ummster +:DAU: /dow/ [German Fidonet] n. German acronym for Dummster Anzunehmender User (stupidest imaginable user). From the - engin-eering-slang GAU for Gr"osster Anzunehmender Unfall (worst + engin-eering-slang GAU for Grosster Anzunehmender Unfall (worst foreseeable accident, esp. of a LNG tank farm plant or something with similarly disastrous consequences).See {cretin}, {fool}, {loser} and {weasel}. @@ -5859,9 +5859,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :dd: /dee-dee/ [UNIX: from IBM {JCL}] vt. Equivalent to {cat} or {BLT}. Originally the name of a UNIX copy command with special options suitable for block-oriented devices; it was - often used in heavy-handed system maintenance, as in "Let's + often used in heavy-handed system maintenance, as in Let's `dd' the root partition onto a tape, then use the boot PROM to - load it back on to a new disk". The UNIX `dd(1)' was + load it back on to a new disk. The UNIX `dd(1)' was designed with a weird, distinctly non-UNIXy keyword option syntax reminiscent of IBM System/360 JCL (which had an elaborate DD `Dataset Definition' specification for I/O devices); though the @@ -5886,12 +5886,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the term: Historical footnote: DDT was developed at MIT for the PDP-1 - computer in 1961. At that time DDT stood for "DEC Debugging - Tape". Since then, the idea of an on-line debugging program has + computer in 1961. At that time DDT stood for DEC Debugging + Tape. Since then, the idea of an on-line debugging program has propagated throughout the computer industry. DDT programs are now available for all DEC computers. Since media other than tape are - now frequently used, the more descriptive name "Dynamic Debugging - Technique" has been adopted, retaining the DDT abbreviation. + now frequently used, the more descriptive name Dynamic Debugging + Technique has been adopted, retaining the DDT abbreviation. Confusion between DDT-10 and another well known pesticide, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (C14-H9-Cl5) should be minimal since each attacks a different, and apparently mutually exclusive, @@ -5910,7 +5910,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (FLexowriter Interrogation Tape). :de-rezz: /dee-rez'/ [from `de-resolve' via the movie - "Tron"] (also `derez') 1. vi. To disappear or dissolve; the + Tron] (also `derez') 1. vi. To disappear or dissolve; the image that goes with it is of an object breaking up into raster lines and static and then dissolving. Occasionally used of a person who seems to have suddenly `fuzzed out' mentally rather than @@ -5942,8 +5942,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :DEADBEEF: /ded-beef/ n. The hexadecimal word-fill pattern for freshly allocated memory (decimal -21524111) under a number of - IBM environments, including the RS/6000. As in "Your program is - DEADBEEF" (meaning gone, aborted, flushed from memory); if you + IBM environments, including the RS/6000. As in Your program is + DEADBEEF (meaning gone, aborted, flushed from memory); if you start from an odd half-word boundary, of course, you have BEEFDEAD. @@ -5974,20 +5974,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :death code: n. A routine whose job is to set everything in the computer --- registers, memory, flags, everything --- to zero, including that portion of memory where it is running; its last act - is to stomp on its own "store zero" instruction. Death code + is to stomp on its own store zero instruction. Death code isn't very useful, but writing it is an interesting hacking challenge on architectures where the instruction set makes it possible, such as the PDP-8 (it has also been done on the DG Nova). Perhaps the ultimate death code is on the TI 990 series, where all - registers are actually in RAM, and the instruction "store - immediate 0" has the opcode "0". The PC will immediately wrap + registers are actually in RAM, and the instruction store + immediate 0 has the opcode 0. The PC will immediately wrap around core as many times as it can until a user hits HALT. Any empty memory location is death code. Worse, the manufacturer recommended use of this instruction in startup code (which would be in ROM and therefore survive). -:Death Star: [from the movie "Star Wars"] 1. The AT&T +:Death Star: [from the movie Star Wars] 1. The AT&T corporate logo, which appears on computers sold by AT&T and bears an uncanny resemblance to the Death Star in the movie. This usage is particularly common among partisans of {BSD} UNIX, who tend @@ -6007,10 +6007,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon `dec' mnemonic. Antonym: {inc}. :DEC Wars: n. A 1983 {USENET} posting by Alan Hastings and Steve - Tarr spoofing the "Star Wars" movies in hackish terms. Some + Tarr spoofing the Star Wars movies in hackish terms. Some years later, ESR (disappointed by Hastings and Tarr's failure to exploit a great premise more thoroughly) posted a - 3-times-longer complete rewrite called "UNIX WARS"; the + 3-times-longer complete rewrite called UNIX WARS; the two are often confused. :decay: [from nuclear physics] n.,vi. An automatic conversion which @@ -6031,12 +6031,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :DED: /D-E-D/ n. Dark-Emitting Diode (that is, a burned-out LED). Compare {SED}, {LER}, {write-only memory}. In the early 1970s both Signetics and Texas instruments released DED spec - sheets as {AFJ}s (suggested uses included "as a power-off - indicator"). + sheets as {AFJ}s (suggested uses included as a power-off + indicator). :deep hack mode: n. See {hack mode}. -:deep magic: [poss. from C. S. Lewis's "Narnia" books] n. An +:deep magic: [poss. from C. S. Lewis's Narnia books] n. An awesomely arcane technique central to a program or system, esp. one neither generally published nor available to hackers at large (compare {black art}); one that could only have been composed by a true @@ -6044,13 +6044,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {OS} design used to be {deep magic}; many techniques in cryptography, signal processing, graphics, and AI still are. Compare {heavy wizardry}. Esp. found in comments of the form - "Deep magic begins here...". Compare {voodoo programming}. + Deep magic begins here.... Compare {voodoo programming}. :deep space: n. 1. Describes the notional location of any program that has gone {off the trolley}. Esp. used of programs that just sit there silently grinding long after either failure or some - output is expected. "Uh oh. I should have gotten a prompt ten - seconds ago. The program's in deep space somewhere." Compare + output is expected. Uh oh. I should have gotten a prompt ten + seconds ago. The program's in deep space somewhere. Compare {buzz}, {catatonic}, {hyperspace}. 2. The metaphorical location of a human so dazed and/or confused or caught up in some esoteric form of {bogosity} that he or she no longer responds @@ -6058,20 +6058,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :defenestration: [from the traditional Czechoslovakian method of assassinating prime ministers, via SF fandom] n. 1. Proper karmic - retribution for an incorrigible punster. "Oh, ghod, that was - *awful*!" "Quick! Defenestrate him!" 2. The act of + retribution for an incorrigible punster. Oh, ghod, that was + *awful*! Quick! Defenestrate him! 2. The act of exiting a window system in order to get better response time from a full-screen program. This comes from the dictionary meaning of `defenestrate', which is to throw something out a window. 3. The act of discarding something under the assumption that it will - improve matters. "I don't have any disk space left." "Well, - why don't you defenestrate that 100 megs worth of old core dumps?" + improve matters. I don't have any disk space left. Well, + why don't you defenestrate that 100 megs worth of old core dumps? 4. [proposed] The requirement to support a command-line interface. - "It has to run on a VT100." "Curses! I've been - defenestrated!" + It has to run on a VT100. Curses! I've been + defenestrated! :defined as: adj. In the role of, usually in an organization-chart - sense. "Pete is currently defined as bug prioritizer." Compare + sense. Pete is currently defined as bug prioritizer. Compare {logical}. :dehose: /dee-hohz/ vt. To clear a {hosed} condition. @@ -6082,8 +6082,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :delta: n. 1. [techspeak] A quantitative change, especially a small or incremental one (this use is general in physics and - engineering). "I just doubled the speed of my program!" "What - was the delta on program size?" "About 30 percent." (He + engineering). I just doubled the speed of my program! What + was the delta on program size? About 30 percent. (He doubled the speed of his program, but increased its size by only 30 percent.) 2. [UNIX] A {diff}, especially a {diff} stored under the set of version-control tools called SCCS (Source Code @@ -6094,8 +6094,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon particularly in `epsilon-delta' proofs in limit theory (as in the differential calculus). The term {delta} is often used, once {epsilon} has been mentioned, to mean a quantity that is - slightly bigger than {epsilon} but still very small. "The cost - isn't epsilon, but it's delta" means that the cost isn't totally + slightly bigger than {epsilon} but still very small. The cost + isn't epsilon, but it's delta means that the cost isn't totally negligible, but it is nevertheless very small. Common constructions include `within delta of ---', `within epsilon of ---': that is, `close to' and `even closer to'. @@ -6123,8 +6123,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon demonstrate a product or prototype. A far more effective way of inducing bugs to manifest than any number of {test} runs, especially when important people are watching. 2. n. The act of - demoing. "I've gotta give a demo of the drool-proof interface; - how does it work again?" 3. n. Esp. as `demo version', can + demoing. I've gotta give a demo of the drool-proof interface; + how does it work again? 3. n. Esp. as `demo version', can refer either to an early, barely-functional version of a program which can be used for demonstration purposes as long as the operator uses *exactly* the right commands and skirts its numerous @@ -6180,8 +6180,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :deserves to lose: adj. Said of someone who willfully does the {Wrong Thing}; humorously, if one uses a feature known to be {marginal}. What is meant is that one deserves the consequences - of one's {losing} actions. "Boy, anyone who tries to use - {mess-dos} deserves to {lose}!" ({{ITS}} fans used to say + of one's {losing} actions. Boy, anyone who tries to use + {mess-dos} deserves to {lose}! ({{ITS}} fans used to say the same thing of {{UNIX}}; many still do.) See also {screw}, {chomp}, {bagbiter}. @@ -6225,9 +6225,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon disputes about reality. Compare {spelling flame}. :diddle: 1. vt. To work with or modify in a not particularly - serious manner. "I diddled a copy of {ADVENT} so it didn't - double-space all the time." "Let's diddle this piece of code and - see if the problem goes away." See {tweak} and {twiddle}. + serious manner. I diddled a copy of {ADVENT} so it didn't + double-space all the time. Let's diddle this piece of code and + see if the problem goes away. See {tweak} and {twiddle}. 2. n. The action or result of diddling. See also {tweak}, {twiddle}, {frob}. @@ -6236,13 +6236,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon software. See also {go flatline}, {casters-up mode}. :die horribly: v. The software equivalent of {crash and burn}, - and the preferred emphatic form of {die}. "The converter - choked on an FF in its input and died horribly". + and the preferred emphatic form of {die}. The converter + choked on an FF in its input and died horribly. :diff: /dif/ n. 1. A change listing, especially giving differences between (and additions to) source code or documents - (the term is often used in the plural `diffs'). "Send me your - diffs for the Jargon File!" Compare {vdiff}. 2. Specifically, + (the term is often used in the plural `diffs'). Send me your + diffs for the Jargon File! Compare {vdiff}. 2. Specifically, such a listing produced by the `diff(1)' command, esp. when used as specification input to the `patch(1)' utility (which can actually perform the modifications; see {patch}). This is a @@ -6257,38 +6257,38 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :dike: vt. To remove or disable a portion of something, as a wire from a computer or a subroutine from a program. A standard slogan - is "When in doubt, dike it out". (The implication is that it is + is When in doubt, dike it out. (The implication is that it is usually more effective to attack software problems by reducing complexity than by increasing it.) The word `dikes' is widely used among mechanics and engineers to mean `diagonal cutters', esp. the heavy-duty metal-cutting version, but may also refer to a kind of wire-cutters used by electronics techs. To `dike something out' means to use such cutters to remove something. - Indeed, the TMRC Dictionary defined dike as "to attack with - dikes". Among hackers this term has been metaphorically extended + Indeed, the TMRC Dictionary defined dike as to attack with + dikes. Among hackers this term has been metaphorically extended to informational objects such as sections of code. :ding: n.,vi. 1. Synonym for {feep}. Usage: rare among hackers, but commoner in the {Real World}. 2. `dinged': What happens when someone in authority gives you a minor bitching about - something, esp. something trivial. "I was dinged for having a - messy desk." + something, esp. something trivial. I was dinged for having a + messy desk. :dink: /dink/ adj. Said of a machine that has the {bitty box} nature; a machine too small to be worth bothering with --- sometimes the system you're currently forced to work on. First heard from an MIT hacker working on a CP/M system with 64K, in reference to any 6502 system, then from fans of 32-bit - architectures about 16-bit machines. "GNUMACS will never work on - that dink machine." Probably derived from mainstream `dinky', + architectures about 16-bit machines. GNUMACS will never work on + that dink machine. Probably derived from mainstream `dinky', which isn't sufficiently pejorative. See {macdink}. :dinosaur: n. 1. Any hardware requiring raised flooring and special power. Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast with newer microprocessor-based machines. In a famous quote from the 1988 UNIX EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe - in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur "with a truck - outside pumping its bodily fluids through it". IBM was not + in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur with a truck + outside pumping its bodily fluids through it. IBM was not amused. Compare {big iron}; see also {mainframe}. 2. [IBM] A very conservative user; a {zipperhead}. @@ -6311,8 +6311,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon giants seem inevitable. :dirtball: [XEROX PARC] n. A small, perhaps struggling outsider; - not in the major or even the minor leagues. For example, "Xerox - is not a dirtball company". + not in the major or even the minor leagues. For example, Xerox + is not a dirtball company. [Outsiders often observe in the PARC culture an institutional arrogance which usage of this term exemplifies. The brilliance and @@ -6339,8 +6339,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon self-subverting Dada-Zen for Westerners --- it should on no account be taken seriously but is far more serious than most jokes. Consider, for example, the Fifth Commandment of the Pentabarf, from - `Principia Discordia': "A Discordian is Prohibited of - Believing What he Reads." Discordianism is usually connected with + `Principia Discordia': A Discordian is Prohibited of + Believing What he Reads. Discordianism is usually connected with an elaborate conspiracy theory/joke involving millennia-long warfare between the anarcho-surrealist partisans of Eris and a malevolent, authoritarian secret society called the Illuminati. @@ -6364,8 +6364,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon size of the code. Syn. {psychedelicware}. :Dissociated Press: [play on `Associated Press'; perhaps inspired - by a reference in the 1949 Bugs Bunny cartoon "What's Up, - Doc?"] n. An algorithm for transforming any text into potentially + by a reference in the 1949 Bugs Bunny cartoon What's Up, + Doc?] n. An algorithm for transforming any text into potentially humorous garbage even more efficiently than by passing it through a {marketroid}. The algorithm starts by printing any N consecutive words (or letters) in the text. Then at every step it @@ -6408,8 +6408,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :do protocol: [from network protocol programming] vi. To perform an interaction with somebody or something that follows a clearly - defined procedure. For example, "Let's do protocol with the - check" at a restaurant means to ask for the check, calculate the + defined procedure. For example, Let's do protocol with the + check at a restaurant means to ask for the check, calculate the tip and everybody's share, collect money from everybody, generate change as necessary, and pay the bill. See {protocol}. @@ -6425,7 +6425,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon software or hardware products (see also {tree-killer}). Hackers seldom read paper documentation and (too) often resist writing it; they prefer theirs to be terse and on-line. A common comment on - this predilection is "You can't {grep} dead trees". See + this predilection is You can't {grep} dead trees. See {drool-proof paper}, {verbiage}, {treeware}. :dodgy: adj. Syn. with {flaky}. Preferred outside the U.S. @@ -6434,7 +6434,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :dogwash: /dog'wosh/ [From a quip in the `urgency' field of a very optional software change request, ca. 1982. It was something like - "Urgency: Wash your dog first".] 1. n. A project of minimal + Urgency: Wash your dog first.] 1. n. A project of minimal priority, undertaken as an escape from more serious work. 2. v. To engage in such a project. Many games and much {freeware} get written this way. @@ -6454,9 +6454,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Don't do that, then!: [from an old doctor's office joke about a patient with a trivial complaint] Stock response to a user - complaint. "When I type control-S, the whole system comes to a - halt for thirty seconds." "Don't do that, then!" (or "So don't - do that!"). Compare {RTFM}. + complaint. When I type control-S, the whole system comes to a + halt for thirty seconds. Don't do that, then! (or So don't + do that!). Compare {RTFM}. :dongle: /dong'gl/ n. 1. A security or {copy protection} device for commercial microcomputer programs consisting of a @@ -6481,7 +6481,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon [Note: in early 1992, advertising copy from Rainbow Technologies (a manufacturer of dongles) included a claim that the word derived from - "Don Gall", allegedly the inventor of the device. The company's + Don Gall, allegedly the inventor of the device. The company's receptionist will cheerfully tell you that the story is a myth invented for the ad copy. Nevertheless, I expect it to haunt my life as a lexicographer for at least the next ten years. --- ESR] @@ -6490,7 +6490,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon required in order to perform some task. Some contain special coding that allows an application to identify it uniquely, others *are* special code that does something that normally-resident - programs don't or can't. (For example, AT&T's "Unix PC" would + programs don't or can't. (For example, AT&T's Unix PC would only come up in {root mode} with a special boot disk.) Also called a `key disk'. See {dongle}. @@ -6501,8 +6501,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :doorstop: n. Used to describe equipment that is non-functional and halfway expected to remain so, especially obsolete equipment kept - around for political reasons or ostensibly as a backup. "When we - get another Wyse-50 in here, that ADM 3 will turn into a doorstop." + around for political reasons or ostensibly as a backup. When we + get another Wyse-50 in here, that ADM 3 will turn into a doorstop. Compare {boat anchor}. :dot file: [UNIX] n. A file that is not visible by default to @@ -6517,8 +6517,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon filled with scores of dot files, of course without the user's really being aware of it.) See also {rc file}. -:double bucky: adj. Using both the CTRL and META keys. "The - command to burn all LEDs is double bucky F." +:double bucky: adj. Using both the CTRL and META keys. The + command to burn all LEDs is double bucky F. This term originated on the Stanford extended-ASCII keyboard, and was later taken up by users of the {space-cadet keyboard} at @@ -6533,7 +6533,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon keys be implemented as pedals; typing on such a keyboard would be very much like playing a full pipe organ. This idea is mentioned in a parody of a very fine song by Jeffrey Moss called - "Rubber Duckie", which was published in `The Sesame + Rubber Duckie, which was published in `The Sesame Street Songbook' (Simon and Schuster 1971, ISBN 0-671-21036-X). These lyrics were written on May 27, 1978, in celebration of the Stanford keyboard: @@ -6578,18 +6578,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon reveals the author's lack of experience in electronic communication. See {BIFF}, {pseudo}. -:down: 1. adj. Not operating. "The up escalator is down" is - considered a humorous thing to say, and "The elevator is down" - always means "The elevator isn't working" and never refers to +:down: 1. adj. Not operating. The up escalator is down is + considered a humorous thing to say, and The elevator is down + always means The elevator isn't working and never refers to what floor the elevator is on. With respect to computers, this term has passed into the mainstream; the extension to other kinds of machine is still hackish. 2. `go down' vi. To stop functioning; usually said of the {system}. The message from the {console} that every hacker hates to hear from the operator is - "System going down in 5 minutes". 3. `take down', `bring + System going down in 5 minutes. 3. `take down', `bring down' vt. To deactivate purposely, usually for repair work or - {PM}. "I'm taking the system down to work on that bug in the - tape drive." Occasionally one hears the word `down' by itself + {PM}. I'm taking the system down to work on that bug in the + tape drive. Occasionally one hears the word `down' by itself used as a verb in this vt. sense. See {crash}; oppose {up}. @@ -6611,8 +6611,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Press}. :DPB: /d*-pib'/ [from the PDP-10 instruction set] vt. To plop - something down in the middle. Usage: silly. "DPB yourself into - that couch there." The connotation would be that the couch is + something down in the middle. Usage: silly. DPB yourself into + that couch there. The connotation would be that the couch is full except for one slot just big enough for one last person to sit in. DPB means `DePosit Byte', and was the name of a PDP-10 instruction that inserts some bits into the middle of some other @@ -6699,7 +6699,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon if Procedures are not followed No Matter What; and (e) no interest no interest in doing anything above or beyond the call of a very narrowly-interpreted duty, or in particular in fixing that which is - broken; an "It's not my job, man" attitude. + broken; an It's not my job, man attitude. Typical droid positions include supermarket checkout assistant and bank clerk; the syndrome is also endemic in low-level government @@ -6714,13 +6714,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon down}, to the point where only a {cretin} could bear to read it, is said to have succumbed to the `drool-proof paper syndrome' or to have been `written on drool-proof paper'. For example, this is - an actual quote from Apple's LaserWriter manual: "Do not expose - your LaserWriter to open fire or flame." + an actual quote from Apple's LaserWriter manual: Do not expose + your LaserWriter to open fire or flame. :drop on the floor: vt. To react to an error condition by silently - discarding messages or other valuable data. "The gateway + discarding messages or other valuable data. The gateway ran out of memory, so it just started dropping packets on the - floor." Also frequently used of faulty mail and netnews relay + floor. Also frequently used of faulty mail and netnews relay sites that lose messages. See also {black hole}, {bit bucket}. :drop-ins: [prob. by analogy with {drop-outs}] n. Spurious @@ -6748,8 +6748,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon mass-storage devices. Under BSD UNIX the disk partition used for swapping is still called `/dev/drum'; this has led to considerable humor and not a few straight-faced but utterly bogus - `explanations' getting foisted on {newbie}s. See also "{The - Story of Mel, a Real Programmer}" in {Appendix A}. + `explanations' getting foisted on {newbie}s. See also {The + Story of Mel, a Real Programmer} in {Appendix A}. :drunk mouse syndrome: (also `mouse on drugs') n. A malady exhibited by the mouse pointing device of some computers. The @@ -6794,9 +6794,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Shocking though it appears to all who encounter it for the first time, the device is actually perfectly valid, legal C. C's default {fall through} in case statements has long been its most - controversial single feature; Duff observed that "This code forms + controversial single feature; Duff observed that This code forms some sort of argument in that debate, but I'm not sure whether it's - for or against." + for or against. [For maximal obscurity, the outermost pair of braces above could be actually be removed --- GLS] @@ -6943,12 +6943,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :eat flaming death: imp. A construction popularized among hackers by the infamous {CPU Wars} comic; supposedly derive from a famously turgid line in a WWII-era anti-Nazi propaganda comic that ran - "Eat flaming death, non-Aryan mongrels!" or something of the sort + Eat flaming death, non-Aryan mongrels! or something of the sort (however, it is also reported that the Firesign Theater's - 1975 album "In The Next World, You're On Your Own" included the - phrase "Eat flaming death, fascist media pigs"; this may have been + 1975 album In The Next World, You're On Your Own included the + phrase Eat flaming death, fascist media pigs; this may have been an influence). Used in humorously overblown expressions of - hostility. "Eat flaming death, {{EBCDIC}} users!" + hostility. Eat flaming death, {{EBCDIC}} users! :EBCDIC:: /eb's*-dik/, /eb'see`dik/, or /eb'k*-dik/ [abbreviation, Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code] n. An alleged @@ -6977,7 +6977,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of IBM, will be buried `face down, 9-edge first' (the 9-edge being the bottom of the card). This directive is inscribed on IBM's 1402 and 1622 card readers and is referenced in a famous bit of - doggerel called "The Last Bug", the climactic lines of which + doggerel called The Last Bug, the climactic lines of which are as follows: He died at the console @@ -7025,9 +7025,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Saint-Exup'ery, probably best known for his classic children's book `The Little Prince', was also an aircraft designer. He gave us perhaps the best definition of engineering elegance when he - said "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there + said A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take - away." + away. :elephantine: adj. Used of programs or systems that are both conspicuous {hog}s (owing perhaps to poor design founded on @@ -7046,9 +7046,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon application, like {toaster} (which superseded it). During one period (1983--84) in the deliberations of ANSI X3J11 (the C standardization committee) this was the canonical example of a - really stupid, memory-limited computation environment. "You can't + really stupid, memory-limited computation environment. You can't require `printf(3)' to be part of the default runtime library - --- what if you're targeting an elevator controller?" Elevator + --- what if you're targeting an elevator controller? Elevator controllers became important rhetorical weapons on both sides of several {holy wars}. @@ -7083,17 +7083,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon support a Feanorian typeface as one of their demo items. See also {elder days}. 2. By extension, any odd or unreadable typeface produced by a graphics device. 3. The typeface mundanely called - `B"ocklin', an art-decoish display font. + `Bocklin', an art-decoish display font. :EMACS: /ee'maks/ [from Editing MACroS] n. The ne plus ultra of hacker editors, a programmable text editor with an entire LISP system inside it. It was originally written by Richard Stallman in {TECO} under {{ITS}} at the MIT AI lab; AI Memo 554 described - it as "an advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible - real-time display editor". It has since been reimplemented any + it as an advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible + real-time display editor. It has since been reimplemented any number of times, by various hackers, and versions exist that run under most major operating systems. Perhaps the most widely used - version, also written by Stallman and now called "{GNU} EMACS" + version, also written by Stallman and now called {GNU} EMACS or {GNUMACS}, runs principally under UNIX. It includes facilities to run compilation subprocesses and send and receive mail; many hackers spend up to 80% of their {tube time} inside @@ -7118,7 +7118,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon 2. vt. To send electronic mail. Oddly enough, the word `emailed' is actually listed in the OED; it - means "embossed (with a raised pattern) or arranged in a net work". + means embossed (with a raised pattern) or arranged in a net work. A use from 1480 is given. The word is derived from French `emmailleure', network. @@ -7159,10 +7159,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon for the happy-face emoticon. It appears that the emoticon was invented by one Scott Fahlman on - the CMU {bboard} systems around 1980. He later wrote: "I wish I + the CMU {bboard} systems around 1980. He later wrote: I wish I had saved the original post, or at least recorded the date for posterity, but I had no idea that I was starting something that - would soon pollute all the world's communication channels." [GLS + would soon pollute all the world's communication channels. [GLS confirms that he remembers this original posting]. Note for the {newbie}: Overuse of the smiley is a mark of @@ -7198,8 +7198,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon old-time hackers, though recognizable in context. 2. The official name of the database language used by the Pick Operating System, actually a sort of crufty, brain-damaged SQL with delusions of - grandeur. The name permits {marketroid}s to say "Yes, and you - can program our computers in English!" to ignorant {suit}s + grandeur. The name permits {marketroid}s to say Yes, and you + can program our computers in English! to ignorant {suit}s without quite running afoul of the truth-in-advertising laws. :enhancement: n. {Marketroid}-speak for a bug {fix}. This abuse @@ -7226,9 +7226,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Transmission) character) that is mapped by the terminal driver into an end-of-file condition. 3. Used by extension in non-computer contexts when a human is doing something that can be modeled as a - sequential read and can't go further. "Yeah, I looked for a list + sequential read and can't go further. Yeah, I looked for a list of 360 mnemonics to post as a joke, but I hit EOF pretty fast; all - the library had was a {JCL} manual." See also + the library had was a {JCL} manual. See also {EOL}. :EOL: /E-O-L/ [End Of Line] n. Syn. for {newline}, derived @@ -7262,14 +7262,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon increase by then. See also {wall time}. :epsilon: [see {delta}] 1. n. A small quantity of anything. - "The cost is epsilon." 2. adj. Very small, negligible; less than - {marginal}. "We can get this feature for epsilon cost." + The cost is epsilon. 2. adj. Very small, negligible; less than + {marginal}. We can get this feature for epsilon cost. 3. `within epsilon of': close enough to be indistinguishable for all practical purposes, even closer than being `within delta - of'. "That's not what I asked for, but it's within epsilon of - what I wanted." Alternatively, it may mean not close enough, but - very little is required to get it there: "My program is within - epsilon of working." + of'. That's not what I asked for, but it's within epsilon of + what I wanted. Alternatively, it may mean not close enough, but + very little is required to get it there: My program is within + epsilon of working. :epsilon squared: n. A quantity even smaller than {epsilon}, as small in comparison to epsilon as epsilon is to something normal; @@ -7322,10 +7322,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon not imply incompetence or bad design, but rather a set of goals or design criteria fatally incompatible with the speaker's. This usage is more an esthetic and engineering judgment than a moral one - in the mainstream sense. "We thought about adding a {Blue - Glue} interface but decided it was too evil to deal with." - "{TECO} is neat, but it can be pretty evil if you're prone to - typos." Often pronounced with the first syllable lengthened, as + in the mainstream sense. We thought about adding a {Blue + Glue} interface but decided it was too evil to deal with. + {TECO} is neat, but it can be pretty evil if you're prone to + typos. Often pronounced with the first syllable lengthened, as /eeee'vil/. Compare {evil and rude}. :evil and rude: adj. Both {evil} and {rude}, but this phrase @@ -7350,7 +7350,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :EXCH: /eks'ch*/ or /eksch/ vt. To exchange two things, each for the other; to swap places. If you point to two people sitting - down and say "Exch!", you are asking them to trade places. EXCH, + down and say Exch!, you are asking them to trade places. EXCH, meaning EXCHange, was originally the name of a PDP-10 instruction that exchanged the contents of a register and a memory location. Many newer hackers are probably thinking instead of the @@ -7380,14 +7380,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :exercise, left as an: [from technical books] Used to complete a proof when one doesn't mind a {handwave}, or to avoid one - entirely. The complete phrase is: "The proof [or `the rest'] is - left as an exercise for the reader." This comment *has* + entirely. The complete phrase is: The proof [or `the rest'] is + left as an exercise for the reader. This comment *has* occasionally been attached to unsolved research problems by authors possessed of either an evil sense of humor or a vast faith in the capabilities of their audiences. -:external memory: n. A memo pad or written notes. "Hold on while - I write that to external memory". The analogy is with store or +:external memory: n. A memo pad or written notes. Hold on while + I write that to external memory. The analogy is with store or DRAM versus nonvolatile disk storage on computers. :eyeball search: n.,v. To look for something in a mass of code or data @@ -7400,8 +7400,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ===== :face time: n. Time spent interacting with somebody face-to-face (as - opposed to via electronic links). "Oh, yeah, I spent some face - time with him at the last Usenix." + opposed to via electronic links). Oh, yeah, I spent some face + time with him at the last Usenix. :factor: n. See {coefficient of X}. @@ -7454,8 +7454,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon imported from fannish slang; however, unlike much fannish slang it is recognized by most non-fannish hackers. Among SF fans the plural is correctly `fen', but this usage is not automatic to - hackers. "Laura reads the stuff occasionally but isn't really a - fan." + hackers. Laura reads the stuff occasionally but isn't really a + fan. :fandango on core: [UNIX/C hackers, from the Mexican dance] n. In C, a wild pointer that runs out of bounds, causing a {core @@ -7476,8 +7476,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon This lexicon itself serves as a good example of a collection of one kind of lore, although it is far too big for a regular FAQ - posting. Examples: "What is the proper type of NULL?" and - "What's that funny name for the `#' character?" are both + posting. Examples: What is the proper type of NULL? and + What's that funny name for the `#' character? are both Frequently Asked Questions. Several FAQ lists refer readers to this file. @@ -7498,8 +7498,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :farming: [Adelaide University, Australia] n. What the heads of a disk drive are said to do when they plow little furrows in the magnetic media. Associated with a {crash}. Typically used as - follows: "Oh no, the machine has just crashed; I hope the hard - drive hasn't gone {farming} again." + follows: Oh no, the machine has just crashed; I hope the hard + drive hasn't gone {farming} again. :fascist: adj. 1. Said of a computer system with excessive or annoying security barriers, usage limits, or access policies. The @@ -7542,8 +7542,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon prospect of dealing with certain real-world systems and standards that are totally {brain-damaged} but ubiquitous --- Intel 8086s, or {COBOL}, or {{EBCDIC}}, or any {IBM} machine except the - Rios (a.k.a. the RS/6000). "Ack! They want PCs to be able to - talk to the AI machine. Fear and loathing time!" + Rios (a.k.a. the RS/6000). Ack! They want PCs to be able to + talk to the AI machine. Fear and loathing time! :feature: n. 1. A good property or behavior (as of a program). Whether it was intended or not is immaterial. 2. An intended @@ -7565,8 +7565,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon was unexpected but not strictly incorrect. A standard joke is that a bug can be turned into a {feature} simply by documenting it (then theoretically no one can complain about it because it's in - the manual), or even by simply declaring it to be good. "That's - not a bug, that's a feature!" is a common catchphrase. See also + the manual), or even by simply declaring it to be good. That's + not a bug, that's a feature! is a common catchphrase. See also {feetch feetch}, {creeping featurism}, {wart}, {green lightning}. @@ -7574,25 +7574,25 @@ The Jargon Lexicon miswarts might be clarified by the following hypothetical exchange between two hackers on an airliner: - A: "This seat doesn't recline." + A: This seat doesn't recline. - B: "That's not a bug, that's a feature. There is an emergency + B: That's not a bug, that's a feature. There is an emergency exit door built around the window behind you, and the route has to - be kept clear." + be kept clear. - A: "Oh. Then it's a misfeature; they should have increased the - spacing between rows here." + A: Oh. Then it's a misfeature; they should have increased the + spacing between rows here. - B: "Yes. But if they'd increased spacing in only one section it + B: Yes. But if they'd increased spacing in only one section it would have been a wart --- they would've had to make nonstandard-length ceiling panels to fit over the displaced - seats." + seats. - A: "A miswart, actually. If they increased spacing throughout + A: A miswart, actually. If they increased spacing throughout they'd lose several rows and a chunk out of the profit margin. So - unequal spacing would actually be the Right Thing." + unequal spacing would actually be the Right Thing. - B: "Indeed." + B: Indeed. `Undocumented feature' is a common, allegedly humorous euphemism for a {bug}. @@ -7617,12 +7617,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Hannes', but it occurs in pre-Christian Viking art as a decorative motif. Throughout Scandinavia today the road agencies use it to mark sites of historical interest. Though this symbol technically - stands for the word `sev"ardhet' (interesting feature) many of + stands for the word `sevardhet' (interesting feature) many of these are old churches; hence, the Swedish idiom for the symbol is `kyrka', cognate to English `church' and Scots-dialect `kirk' but pronounced /shir'k*/ in modern Swedish. This is in fact where - Apple got the symbol; Apple gives the translation "interesting - feature"! + Apple got the symbol; Apple gives the translation interesting + feature! :feature shock: [from Alvin Toffler's book title `Future Shock'] n. A user's (or programmer's!) confusion when confronted @@ -7645,7 +7645,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the display to make a feep sound. ASR-33s (the original TTYs) do not feep; they have mechanical bells that ring. Alternate forms: {beep}, `bleep', or just about anything suitably - onomatopoeic. (Jeff MacNelly, in his comic strip "Shoe", uses + onomatopoeic. (Jeff MacNelly, in his comic strip Shoe, uses the word `eep' for sounds made by computer terminals and video games; this is perhaps the closest written approximation yet.) The term `breedle' was sometimes heard at SAIL, where the terminal @@ -7672,13 +7672,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon customary noises. :feetch feetch: /feech feech/ interj. If someone tells you about - some new improvement to a program, you might respond: "Feetch, - feetch!" The meaning of this depends critically on vocal - inflection. With enthusiasm, it means something like "Boy, that's - great! What a great hack!" Grudgingly or with obvious doubt, it - means "I don't know; it sounds like just one more unnecessary and - complicated thing". With a tone of resignation, it means, "Well, - I'd rather keep it simple, but I suppose it has to be done". + some new improvement to a program, you might respond: Feetch, + feetch! The meaning of this depends critically on vocal + inflection. With enthusiasm, it means something like Boy, that's + great! What a great hack! Grudgingly or with obvious doubt, it + means I don't know; it sounds like just one more unnecessary and + complicated thing. With a tone of resignation, it means, Well, + I'd rather keep it simple, but I suppose it has to be done. :fence: n. 1. A sequence of one or more distinguished ({out-of-band}) characters (or other data items), used to @@ -7697,14 +7697,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon optimizing compilers] Any technique, usually exploiting knowledge about the compiler, that blocks certain optimizations. Used when explicit mechanisms are not available or are overkill. Typically a - hack: "I call a dummy procedure there to force a flush of the - optimizer's register-coloring info" can be expressed by the - shorter "That's a fence procedure". + hack: I call a dummy procedure there to force a flush of the + optimizer's register-coloring info can be expressed by the + shorter That's a fence procedure. :fencepost error: n. 1. A problem with the discrete equivalent of a boundary condition, often exhibited in programs by iterative - loops. From the following problem: "If you build a fence 100 feet - long with posts 10 feet apart, how many posts do you need?" + loops. From the following problem: If you build a fence 100 feet + long with posts 10 feet apart, how many posts do you need? (Either 9 or 11 is a better answer than the obvious 10.) For example, suppose you have a long list or array of items, and want to process items m through n; how many items are there? The @@ -7778,9 +7778,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :File Request: [FidoNet] 1. n. The {FidoNet} equivalent of {FTP}, in which one BBS system automatically dials another and {snarf}s one or more files. Often abbreviated `FReq'; files - are often announced as being "available for FReq" in the same way - that files are announced as being "available for/by anonymous - FTP" on the Internet. 2. vt. The act of getting a copy of a file + are often announced as being available for FReq in the same way + that files are announced as being available for/by anonymous + FTP on the Internet. 2. vt. The act of getting a copy of a file by using the File Request option of the BBS mailer. :file signature: n. A {magic number} sense 3. @@ -7796,20 +7796,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :film at 11: [MIT: in parody of TV newscasters] 1. Used in conversation to announce ordinary events, with a sarcastic - implication that these events are earth-shattering. "{{ITS}} - crashes; film at 11." "Bug found in scheduler; film at 11." + implication that these events are earth-shattering. {{ITS}} + crashes; film at 11. Bug found in scheduler; film at 11. 2. Also widely used outside MIT to indicate that additional information will be available at some future time, *without* the implication of anything particularly ordinary about the - referenced event. For example, "The mail file server died this + referenced event. For example, The mail file server died this morning; we found garbage all over the root directory. Film at - 11." would indicate that a major failure had occurred but that the + 11. would indicate that a major failure had occurred but that the people working on it have no additional information about it as yet; use of the phrase in this way suggests gently that the problem is liable to be fixed more quickly if the people doing the fixing can spend time doing the fixing rather than responding to - questions, the answers to which will appear on the normal "11:00 - news", if people will just be patient. + questions, the answers to which will appear on the normal 11:00 + news, if people will just be patient. :filter: [orig. {{UNIX}}, now also in {{MS-DOS}}] n. A program that processes an input data stream into an output data stream in some @@ -7818,10 +7818,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon `pipeline' (see {plumbing}). Compare {sponge}. :Finagle's Law: n. The generalized or `folk' version of - {Murphy's Law}, fully named "Finagle's Law of Dynamic - Negatives" and usually rendered "Anything that can go wrong, - will". One variant favored among hackers is "The perversity of - the Universe tends towards a maximum" (but see also {Hanlon's + {Murphy's Law}, fully named Finagle's Law of Dynamic + Negatives and usually rendered Anything that can go wrong, + will. One variant favored among hackers is The perversity of + the Universe tends towards a maximum (but see also {Hanlon's Razor}). The label `Finagle's Law' was popularized by SF author Larry Niven in several stories depicting a frontier culture of asteroid miners; this `Belter' culture professed a religion @@ -7839,8 +7839,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon applicable). May also display a {plan file} left by the user (see also {Hacking X for Y}). 2. vt. To apply finger to a username. 3. vt. By extension, to check a human's current state by - any means. "Foodp?" "T!" "OK, finger Lisa and see if she's - idle." 4. Any picture (composed of ASCII characters) depicting + any means. Foodp? T! OK, finger Lisa and see if she's + idle. 4. Any picture (composed of ASCII characters) depicting `the finger'. Originally a humorous component of one's plan file to deter the curious fingerer (sense 2), it has entered the arsenal of some {flamer}s. @@ -7862,9 +7862,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon or a `valve' in England; another hackish term is {glassfet}. :firefighting: n. 1. What sysadmins have to do to correct sudden - operational problems. An opposite of hacking. "Been hacking your - new newsreader?" "No, a power glitch hosed the network and I spent - the whole afternoon fighting fires." 2. The act of throwing lots + operational problems. An opposite of hacking. Been hacking your + new newsreader? No, a power glitch hosed the network and I spent + the whole afternoon fighting fires. 2. The act of throwing lots of manpower and late nights at a project, esp. to get it out before deadline. See also {gang bang}, {Mongolian Hordes technique}; however, the term `firefighting' connotes that the @@ -7909,8 +7909,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :fish: [Adelaide University, Australia] n. 1. Another {metasyntactic variable}. See {foo}. Derived originally from the Monty Python - skit in the middle of "The Meaning of Life" entitled - "Find the Fish". 2. A pun for `microfiche'. A microfiche + skit in the middle of The Meaning of Life entitled + Find the Fish. 2. A pun for `microfiche'. A microfiche file cabinet may be referred to as a `fish tank'. :FISH queue: [acronym, by analogy with FIFO (First In, First Out)] @@ -7939,15 +7939,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :flag: n. A variable or quantity that can take on one of two values; a bit, particularly one that is used to indicate one of two outcomes or is used to control which of two things is to be done. - "This flag controls whether to clear the screen before printing - the message." "The program status word contains several flag - bits." Used of humans analogously to {bit}. See also + This flag controls whether to clear the screen before printing + the message. The program status word contains several flag + bits. Used of humans analogously to {bit}. See also {hidden flag}, {mode bit}. :flag day: n. A software change that is neither forward- nor backward-compatible, and which is costly to make and costly to - reverse. "Can we install that without causing a flag day for all - users?" This term has nothing to do with the use of the word + reverse. Can we install that without causing a flag day for all + users? This term has nothing to do with the use of the word {flag} to mean a variable that has two values. It came into use when a massive change was made to the {{Multics}} timesharing system to convert from the old ASCII code to the new one; this was @@ -7974,18 +7974,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon attitude. 3. vt. Either of senses 1 or 2, directed with hostility at a particular person or people. 4. n. An instance of flaming. When a discussion degenerates into useless controversy, - one might tell the participants "Now you're just flaming" or - "Stop all that flamage!" to try to get them to cool down (so to + one might tell the participants Now you're just flaming or + Stop all that flamage! to try to get them to cool down (so to speak). - USENETter Marc Ramsey, who was at WPI from 1972 to 1976, adds: "I + USENETter Marc Ramsey, who was at WPI from 1972 to 1976, adds: I am 99% certain that the use of `flame' originated at WPI. Those who made a nuisance of themselves insisting that they needed to use a TTY for `real work' came to be known as `flaming asshole lusers'. Other particularly annoying people became `flaming asshole ravers', which shortened to `flaming ravers', and ultimately `flamers'. I remember someone picking up on the Human Torch pun, but I don't - think `flame on/off' was ever much used at WPI." See also + think `flame on/off' was ever much used at WPI. See also {asbestos}. The term may have been independently invented at several different @@ -7999,10 +7999,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon computing device of the day. In Chaucer's `Troilus and Cressida', Cressida laments her inability to grasp the proof of a particular mathematical theorem; her uncle Pandarus then observes - that it's called "the fleminge of wrecches." This phrase seems - to have been intended in context as "that which puts the wretches - to flight" but was probably just as ambiguous in Middle English as - "the flaming of wretches" would be today. One suspects that + that it's called the fleminge of wrecches. This phrase seems + to have been intended in context as that which puts the wretches + to flight but was probably just as ambiguous in Middle English as + the flaming of wretches would be today. One suspects that Chaucer would feel right at home on USENET. :flame bait: n. A posting intended to trigger a {flame war}, or one @@ -8037,9 +8037,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon somewhere will not work. The legend is discreetly silent on the reliability of programs which *do* contain the magic word. -:flat: adj. 1. Lacking any complex internal structure. "That +:flat: adj. 1. Lacking any complex internal structure. That {bitty box} has only a flat filesystem, not a hierarchical - one." The verb form is {flatten}. 2. Said of a memory + one. The verb form is {flatten}. 2. Said of a memory architecture (like that of the VAX or 680x0) that is one big linear address space (typically with each possible value of a processor register corresponding to a unique core address), as opposed to a @@ -8064,16 +8064,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :flatten: vt. To remove structural information, esp. to filter something with an implicit tree structure into a simple sequence of - leaves; also tends to imply mapping to {flat-ASCII}. "This code + leaves; also tends to imply mapping to {flat-ASCII}. This code flattens an expression with parentheses into an equivalent - {canonical} form." + {canonical} form. -:flavor: n. 1. Variety, type, kind. "DDT commands come in two - flavors." "These lights come in two flavors, big red ones and - small green ones." See {vanilla}. 2. The attribute that causes - something to be {flavorful}. Usually used in the phrase "yields - additional flavor". "This convention yields additional flavor by - allowing one to print text either right-side-up or upside-down." +:flavor: n. 1. Variety, type, kind. DDT commands come in two + flavors. These lights come in two flavors, big red ones and + small green ones. See {vanilla}. 2. The attribute that causes + something to be {flavorful}. Usually used in the phrase yields + additional flavor. This convention yields additional flavor by + allowing one to print text either right-side-up or upside-down. See {vanilla}. This usage was certainly reinforced by the terminology of quantum chromodynamics, in which quarks (the constituents of, e.g., protons) come in six flavors (up, down, @@ -8112,12 +8112,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :flower key: [Mac users] n. See {feature key}. :flush: v. 1. To delete something, usually superfluous, or to abort - an operation. "All that nonsense has been flushed." 2. [UNIX/C] + an operation. All that nonsense has been flushed. 2. [UNIX/C] To force buffered I/O to disk, as with an `fflush(3)' call. This is *not* an abort or deletion as in sense 1, but a demand for early completion! 3. To leave at the end of a day's - work (as opposed to leaving for a meal). "I'm going to flush - now." "Time to flush." 4. To exclude someone from an activity, + work (as opposed to leaving for a meal). I'm going to flush + now. Time to flush. 4. To exclude someone from an activity, or to ignore a person. `Flush' was standard ITS terminology for aborting an output @@ -8144,14 +8144,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :FM: n. *Not* `Frequency Modulation' but rather an abbreviation for `Fucking Manual', the back-formation from {RTFM}. Used to refer to the manual itself in the {RTFM}. - "Have you seen the Networking FM lately?" + Have you seen the Networking FM lately? :fnord: [from the `Illuminatus Trilogy'] n. 1. A word used in email and news postings to tag utterances as surrealist mind-play or humor, esp. in connection with {Discordianism} and elaborate - conspiracy theories. "I heard that David Koresh is sharing an - apartment in Argentina with Hitler. (Fnord.)", "Where can I fnord - get the Principia Discordia from?" 2. A metasyntactic variable, + conspiracy theories. I heard that David Koresh is sharing an + apartment in Argentina with Hitler. (Fnord.), Where can I fnord + get the Principia Discordia from? 2. A metasyntactic variable, commonly used by hackers with ties to {Discordianism} or the {Church of the SubGenius}. @@ -8166,8 +8166,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon and with no regard for other people. From {MUD}s where the wizard command `FOD ' results in the immediate and total death of , usually as punishment for obnoxious behavior. - This usage migrated to other circumstances, such as "I'm going to fod - the process that is burning all the cycles." Compare {gun}. + This usage migrated to other circumstances, such as I'm going to fod + the process that is burning all the cycles. Compare {gun}. In aviation, FOD means Foreign Object Damage, e.g., what happens when a jet engine sucks up a rock on the runway or a bird in @@ -8192,7 +8192,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon recapitulates file-ogeny. [Unfortunately, this reference to the embryological dictum that - "Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" is not merely a joke. On the + Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny is not merely a joke. On the Macintosh, for example, System 7 has to go through contortions to compensate for an earlier design error that created a whole different set of abstractions for fonts parallel to `files' and @@ -8213,17 +8213,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon However, the use of the word `foo' itself has more complicated antecedents, including a long history in comic strips and cartoons. - The old "Smokey Stover" comic strips by Bill Holman often + The old Smokey Stover comic strips by Bill Holman often included the word `FOO', in particular on license plates of cars; allegedly, `FOO' and `BAR' also occurred in Walt Kelly's - "Pogo" strips. In the 1938 cartoon "The Daffy Doc", a very - early version of Daffy Duck holds up a sign saying "SILENCE IS - FOO!"; oddly, this seems to refer to some approving or positive + Pogo strips. In the 1938 cartoon The Daffy Doc, a very + early version of Daffy Duck holds up a sign saying SILENCE IS + FOO!; oddly, this seems to refer to some approving or positive affirmative use of foo. It has been suggested that this might be related to the Chinese word `fu' (sometimes transliterated - `foo'), which can mean "happiness" when spoken with the proper + `foo'), which can mean happiness when spoken with the proper tone (the lion-dog guardians flanking the steps of many Chinese - restaurants are properly called "fu dogs"). + restaurants are properly called fu dogs). Earlier versions of this entry suggested the possibility that hacker usage actually sprang from `FOO, Lampoons and Parody', @@ -8242,8 +8242,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon TMRC Language', compiled at {TMRC} there was an entry that went something like this: - FOO: The first syllable of the sacred chant phrase "FOO MANE PADME - HUM." Our first obligation is to keep the foo counters turning. + FOO: The first syllable of the sacred chant phrase FOO MANE PADME + HUM. Our first obligation is to keep the foo counters turning. For more about the legendary foo counters, see {TMRC}. Almost the entire staff of what became the MIT AI LAB was involved with @@ -8268,8 +8268,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :fool file, the: [USENET] n. A notional repository of all the most dramatically and abysmally stupid utterances ever. An entire - subgenre of {sig block}s consists of the header "From the fool - file:" followed by some quote the poster wishes to represent as an + subgenre of {sig block}s consists of the header From the fool + file: followed by some quote the poster wishes to represent as an immortal gem of dimwittery; for this usage to be really effective, the quote has to be so obviously wrong as to be laughable. More than one USENETter has achieved an unwanted notoriety by being @@ -8289,7 +8289,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon parrot which sat on Poole's shoulder and was a regular companion. 3. Any of the machines built by Poole's company. The first was the F-1 (a.k.a. Super Foonly), which was the computational engine used - to create the graphics in the movie "TRON". The F-1 was the + to create the graphics in the movie TRON. The F-1 was the fastest PDP-10 ever built, but only one was ever made. The effort drained Foonly of its financial resources, and the company turned towards building smaller, slower, and much less expensive @@ -8312,15 +8312,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :for free: adj. Said of a capability of a programming language or hardware equipment that is available by its design without needing - cleverness to implement: "In APL, we get the matrix operations for - free." "And owing to the way revisions are stored in this - system, you get revision trees for free." The term usually refers + cleverness to implement: In APL, we get the matrix operations for + free. And owing to the way revisions are stored in this + system, you get revision trees for free. The term usually refers to a serendipitous feature of doing things a certain way (compare {big win}), but it may refer to an intentional but secondary feature. -:for the rest of us: [from the Mac slogan "The computer for the - rest of us"] adj. 1. Used to describe a {spiffy} product whose +:for the rest of us: [from the Mac slogan The computer for the + rest of us] adj. 1. Used to describe a {spiffy} product whose affordability shames other comparable products, or (more often) used sarcastically to describe {spiffy} but very overpriced products. 2. Describes a program with a limited interface, @@ -8332,17 +8332,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Macintosh software which doesn't provide obvious capabilities because it is thought that the poor lusers might not be able to handle them. Becomes `the rest of *them*' when used in - third-party reference; thus, "Yes, it is an attractive program, - but it's designed for The Rest Of Them" means a program that + third-party reference; thus, Yes, it is an attractive program, + but it's designed for The Rest Of Them means a program that superficially looks neat but has no depth beyond the surface flash. See also {WIMP environment}, {Macintrash}, {point-and-drool interface}, {user-friendly}. :for values of: [MIT] A common rhetorical maneuver at MIT is to use any of the canonical {random numbers} as placeholders for - variables. "The max function takes 42 arguments, for arbitrary - values of 42." "There are 69 ways to leave your lover, for - 69 = 50." This is especially likely when the speaker has uttered + variables. The max function takes 42 arguments, for arbitrary + values of 42. There are 69 ways to leave your lover, for + 69 = 50. This is especially likely when the speaker has uttered a random number and realizes that it was not recognized as such, but even `non-random' numbers are occasionally used in this fashion. A related joke is that pi equals 3 --- for @@ -8361,9 +8361,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :foreground: [UNIX] vt. To bring a task to the top of one's {stack} for immediate processing, and hackers often use it in - this sense for non-computer tasks. "If your presentation is due + this sense for non-computer tasks. If your presentation is due next week, I guess I'd better foreground writing up the design - document." + document. Technically, on a time-sharing system, a task executing in foreground is one able to accept input from and return output to @@ -8433,7 +8433,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :four-color glossies: 1. Literature created by {marketroid}s that allegedly contains technical specs but which is in fact as superficial as possible without being totally {content-free}. - "Forget the four-color glossies, give me the tech ref manuals." + Forget the four-color glossies, give me the tech ref manuals. Often applied as an indication of superficiality even when the material is printed on ordinary paper in black and white. Four-color-glossy manuals are *never* useful for finding a @@ -8453,8 +8453,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon substituted for `flipping'. :frednet: /fred'net/ n. Used to refer to some {random} and - uncommon protocol encountered on a network. "We're implementing - bridging in our router to solve the frednet problem." + uncommon protocol encountered on a network. We're implementing + bridging in our router to solve the frednet problem. :freeware: n. Free software, often written by enthusiasts and distributed by users' groups, or via electronic mail, local @@ -8467,8 +8467,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :freeze: v. To lock an evolving software distribution or document against changes so it can be released with some hope of stability. Carries the strong implication that the item in question will - `unfreeze' at some future date. "OK, fix that bug and we'll - freeze for release." + `unfreeze' at some future date. OK, fix that bug and we'll + freeze for release. There are more specific constructions on this term. A `feature freeze', for example, locks out modifications intended to introduce @@ -8486,10 +8486,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {LER}. However, this term is also used metaphorically.) Compare {frotzed}. 2. Of people, exhausted. Said particularly of those who continue to work in such a state. Often used as an - explanation or excuse. "Yeah, I know that fix destroyed the file - system, but I was fried when I put it in." Esp. common in - conjunction with `brain': "My brain is fried today, I'm very - short on sleep." + explanation or excuse. Yeah, I know that fix destroyed the file + system, but I was fried when I put it in. Esp. common in + conjunction with `brain': My brain is fried today, I'm very + short on sleep. :frink: /frink/ v. The unknown ur-verb, fill in your own meaning. Found esp. on the USENET newsgroup alt.fan.lemur, where it is @@ -8505,8 +8505,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon amounts of time for quite marginal gains in function but seduces people into using it anyway. See also {window shopping}. -:frob: /frob/ 1. n. [MIT] The {TMRC} definition was "FROB = a - protruding arm or trunnion"; by metaphoric extension, a `frob' +:frob: /frob/ 1. n. [MIT] The {TMRC} definition was FROB = a + protruding arm or trunnion; by metaphoric extension, a `frob' is any random small thing; an object that you can comfortably hold in one hand; something you can frob (sense 2). See {frobnitz}. 2. vt. Abbreviated form of {frobnicate}. 3. [from the {MUD} @@ -8521,8 +8521,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {frobnitz}, and usually abbreviated to {frob}, but `frobnicate' is recognized as the official full form.] To manipulate or adjust, to tweak. One frequently frobs bits or other - 2-state devices. Thus: "Please frob the light switch" (that is, - flip it), but also "Stop frobbing that clasp; you'll break it". + 2-state devices. Thus: Please frob the light switch (that is, + flip it), but also Stop frobbing that clasp; you'll break it. One also sees the construction `to frob a frob'. See {tweak} and {twiddle}. @@ -8548,19 +8548,19 @@ The Jargon Lexicon objects, such as data structures. Pete Samson, compiler of the original {TMRC} lexicon, adds, - "Under the TMRC [railroad] layout were many storage boxes, managed + Under the TMRC [railroad] layout were many storage boxes, managed (in 1958) by David R. Sawyer. Several had fanciful designations written on them, such as `Frobnitz Coil Oil'. Perhaps DRS intended Frobnitz to be a proper name, but the name was quickly taken for - the thing". This was almost certainly the origin of the + the thing. This was almost certainly the origin of the term. :frog: alt. `phrog' 1. interj. Term of disgust (we seem to have a lot of them). 2. Used as a name for just about anything. See {foo}. 3. n. Of things, a crock. 4. n. Of people, somewhere in between a turkey and a toad. 5. `froggy': adj. Similar to - `bagbiting' (see {bagbiter}), but milder. "This froggy - program is taking forever to run!" + `bagbiting' (see {bagbiter}), but milder. This froggy + program is taking forever to run! :frogging: [University of Waterloo] v. 1. Partial corruption of a text file or input stream by some bug or consistent glitch, as @@ -8580,9 +8580,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon filtering for another (usually more powerful but less friendly) machine (a `back end'). 2. What you're talking to when you have a conversation with someone who is making replies without - paying attention. "Look at the dancing elephants!" "Uh-huh." - "Do you know what I just said?" "Sorry, you were talking to the - front end." See also {fepped out}. 3. Software that provides + paying attention. Look at the dancing elephants! Uh-huh. + Do you know what I just said? Sorry, you were talking to the + front end. See also {fepped out}. 3. Software that provides an interface to another program `behind' it, which may not be as user-friendly. Probably from analogy with hardware front-ends (see sense 1) that interfaced with mainframes. @@ -8608,8 +8608,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Transfer Protocol for transmitting files between systems on the Internet. 2. vt. To {beam} a file using the File Transfer Protocol. 3. Sometimes used as a generic even for file transfers - not using {FTP}. "Lemme get a copy of `Wuthering - Heights' ftp'd from uunet." + not using {FTP}. Lemme get a copy of `Wuthering + Heights' ftp'd from uunet. :FUBAR: n. The Failed UniBus Address Register in a VAX. A good example of how jargon can occasionally be snuck past the {suit}s; @@ -8618,9 +8618,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :fuck me harder: excl. Sometimes uttered in response to egregious misbehavior, esp. in software, and esp. of misbehaviors which seem unfairly persistent (as though designed in by the imp of the - perverse). Often theatrically elaborated: "Aiighhh! Fuck me with + perverse). Often theatrically elaborated: Aiighhh! Fuck me with a piledriver and 16 feet of curare-tipped wrought-iron fence - *and no lubricants*!" The phrase is sometimes heard + *and no lubricants*! The phrase is sometimes heard abbreviated `FMH' in polite company. [This entry is an extreme example of the hackish habit of coining @@ -8640,9 +8640,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon forms of censorship to record it here. --- ESR & GLS] :FUD: /fuhd/ n. Defined by Gene Amdahl after he left IBM to found - his own company: "FUD is the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that IBM + his own company: FUD is the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that IBM sales people instill in the minds of potential customers who might - be considering [Amdahl] products." The idea, of course, was to + be considering [Amdahl] products. The idea, of course, was to persuade them to go with safe IBM gear rather than with competitors' equipment. This implicit coercion was traditionally accomplished by promising that Good Things would happen to people @@ -8656,9 +8656,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon is but one outstanding example. :fudge: 1. vt. To perform in an incomplete but marginally acceptable - way, particularly with respect to the writing of a program. "I + way, particularly with respect to the writing of a program. I didn't feel like going through that pain and suffering, so I fudged - it --- I'll fix it later." 2. n. The resulting code. + it --- I'll fix it later. 2. n. The resulting code. :fudge factor: n. A value or parameter that is varied in an ad hoc way to produce the desired result. The terms `tolerance' and @@ -8677,8 +8677,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of X}. :fuel up: vi. To eat or drink hurriedly in order to get back to - hacking. "Food-p?" "Yeah, let's fuel up." "Time for a - {great-wall}!" See also {{oriental food}}. + hacking. Food-p? Yeah, let's fuel up. Time for a + {great-wall}! See also {{oriental food}}. :fum: [XEROX PARC] n. At PARC, often the third of the standard {metasyntactic variable}s (after {foo} and {bar}). Competes @@ -8691,10 +8691,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon bothered to fix because workarounds are easier, the funkier it is. {TECO} and UUCP are funky. The Intel i860's exception handling is extraordinarily funky. Most standards acquire funkiness as they - age. "The new mailer is installed, but is still somewhat funky; - if it bounces your mail for no reason, try resubmitting it." - "This UART is pretty funky. The data ready line is active-high in - interrupt mode and active-low in DMA mode." + age. The new mailer is installed, but is still somewhat funky; + if it bounces your mail for no reason, try resubmitting it. + This UART is pretty funky. The data ready line is active-high in + interrupt mode and active-low in DMA mode. :funny money: n. 1. Notional `dollar' units of computing time and/or storage handed to students at the beginning of a computer @@ -8733,8 +8733,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the perpetrator of such tactics. Also, `pulling a Gabriel', `Gabriel mode'. -:gag: vi. Equivalent to {choke}, but connotes more disgust. "Hey, - this is FORTRAN code. No wonder the C compiler gagged." See also +:gag: vi. Equivalent to {choke}, but connotes more disgust. Hey, + this is FORTRAN code. No wonder the C compiler gagged. See also {barf}. :gang bang: n. The use of large numbers of loosely coupled @@ -8757,12 +8757,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :gas: [as in `gas chamber'] 1. interj. A term of disgust and hatred, implying that gas should be dispensed in generous - quantities, thereby exterminating the source of irritation. "Some - loser just reloaded the system for no reason! Gas!" 2. interj. A + quantities, thereby exterminating the source of irritation. Some + loser just reloaded the system for no reason! Gas! 2. interj. A suggestion that someone or something ought to be flushed out of - mercy. "The system's getting {wedged} every few minutes. - Gas!" 3. vt. To {flush} (sense 1). "You should gas that old - crufty software." 4. [IBM] n. Dead space in nonsequentially + mercy. The system's getting {wedged} every few minutes. + Gas! 3. vt. To {flush} (sense 1). You should gas that old + crufty software. 4. [IBM] n. Dead space in nonsequentially organized files that was occupied by data that has since been deleted; the compression operation that removes it is called `degassing' (by analogy, perhaps, with the use of the same term @@ -8778,8 +8778,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon manslaughter). :GC: /G-C/ [from LISP terminology; `Garbage Collect'] - 1. vt. To clean up and throw away useless things. "I think I'll - GC the top of my desk today." When said of files, this is + 1. vt. To clean up and throw away useless things. I think I'll + GC the top of my desk today. When said of files, this is equivalent to {GFR}. 2. vt. To recycle, reclaim, or put to another use. 3. n. An instantiation of the garbage collector process. @@ -8796,8 +8796,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon In jargon, the full phrase is sometimes heard but the {abbrev} is more frequently used because it is shorter. Note that there is an - ambiguity in usage that has to be resolved by context: "I'm going - to garbage-collect my desk" usually means to clean out the + ambiguity in usage that has to be resolved by context: I'm going + to garbage-collect my desk usually means to clean out the drawers, but it could also mean to throw away or recycle the desk itself. @@ -8857,8 +8857,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :geek out: vi. To temporarily enter techno-nerd mode while in a non-hackish context, for example at parties held near computer equipment. Especially used when you need to do or say something - highly technical and don't have time to explain: "Pardon me while - I geek out for a moment." See {computer geek}; see also + highly technical and don't have time to explain: Pardon me while + I geek out for a moment. See {computer geek}; see also {propeller head}. :gen: /jen/ n.,v. Short for {generate}, used frequently in both spoken @@ -8883,8 +8883,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon generated with GNU tools, which may in turn infect other software that reuses any of its code. The Free Software Foundation's official position as of January 1991 is that copyright law limits - the scope of the GPL to "programs textually incorporating - significant amounts of GNU code", and that the `infection' is not + the scope of the GPL to programs textually incorporating + significant amounts of GNU code, and that the `infection' is not passed on to third parties unless actual GNU source is transmitted (as in, for example, use of the Bison parser skeleton). Nevertheless, widespread suspicion that the {copyleft} language @@ -8896,9 +8896,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon program or set of rules, or as a (possibly unintended) side effect of the execution of an algorithm or program. The opposite of {parse}. This term retains its mechanistic connotations (though - often humorously) when used of human behavior. "The guy is + often humorously) when used of human behavior. The guy is rational most of the time, but mention nuclear energy around him - and he'll generate {infinite} flamage." + and he'll generate {infinite} flamage. :gensym: /jen'sim/ [from MacLISP for `generated symbol'] 1. v. To invent a new name for something temporary, in such a way @@ -8915,8 +8915,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (see {computer geek}). Often heard on {USENET}, esp. as a way of suggesting that the target is taking some obscure issue of {theology} too seriously. This exhortation was popularized by - William Shatner on a "Saturday Night Live" episode in a - speech that ended "Get a *life*!", but some respondents + William Shatner on a Saturday Night Live episode in a + speech that ended Get a *life*!, but some respondents believe it to have been in use before then. It was certainly in wide use among hackers for at least five years before achieving mainstream currency in early 1992. @@ -8936,8 +8936,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon program-automated or semi-automatic manual procedure, especially one designed to reclaim mass storage space or reduce name-space clutter (the original GFR actually moved files to tape). Often - generalized to pieces of data below file level. "I used to have - his phone number, but I guess I {GFR}ed it." See also + generalized to pieces of data below file level. I used to have + his phone number, but I guess I {GFR}ed it. See also {prowler}, {reaper}. Compare {GC}, which discards only provably worthless stuff. @@ -8947,7 +8947,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :GIGO: /gi:'goh/ [acronym] 1. `Garbage In, Garbage Out' --- usually said in response to {luser}s who complain that a program - didn't "do the right thing" when given imperfect input or + didn't do the right thing when given imperfect input or otherwise mistreated in some way. Also commonly used to describe failures in human decision making due to faulty, incomplete, or imprecise data. 2. `Garbage In, Gospel Out': this more recent @@ -8955,9 +8955,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon to put excessive trust in `computerized' data. :gilley: [USENET] n. The unit of analogical bogosity. According to - its originator, the standard for one gilley was "the act of + its originator, the standard for one gilley was the act of bogotoficiously comparing the shutting down of 1000 machines for a - day with the killing of one person". The milligilley has been + day with the killing of one person. The milligilley has been found to suffice for most normal conversational exchanges. :gillion: /gil'y*n/ or /jil'y*n/ [formed from {giga-} by analogy @@ -8972,13 +8972,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of only a handful of highly parallel machines, but this is expected to change. Compare {KIPS}. -:glark: /glark/ vt. To figure something out from context. "The +:glark: /glark/ vt. To figure something out from context. The System III manuals are pretty poor, but you can generally glark the - meaning from context." Interestingly, the word was originally - `glork'; the context was "This gubblick contains many + meaning from context. Interestingly, the word was originally + `glork'; the context was This gubblick contains many nonsklarkish English flutzpahs, but the overall pluggandisp can be - glorked [sic] from context" (David Moser, quoted by Douglas - Hofstadter in his "Metamagical Themas" column in the + glorked [sic] from context (David Moser, quoted by Douglas + Hofstadter in his Metamagical Themas column in the January 1981 `Scientific American'). It is conjectured that hackish usage mutated the verb to `glark' because {glork} was already an established jargon term. Compare {grok}, @@ -8994,7 +8994,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon display terminal, it doesn't produce hard copy. An example is the early `dumb' version of Lear-Siegler ADM 3 (without cursor control). See {tube}, {tty}; compare {dumb terminal}, {smart - terminal}. See "{TV Typewriters}" (appendix A) for an + terminal}. See {TV Typewriters} (appendix A) for an interesting true story about a glass tty. :glassfet: /glas'fet/ [by analogy with MOSFET, the acronym for @@ -9009,7 +9009,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon grave concern because it usually crashes all the computers. In jargon, though, a hacker who got to the middle of a sentence and then forgot how he or she intended to complete it might say, - "Sorry, I just glitched". 2. vi. To commit a glitch. See + Sorry, I just glitched. 2. vi. To commit a glitch. See {gritch}. 3. vt. [Stanford] To scroll a display screen, esp. several lines at a time. {{WAITS}} terminals used to do this in order to avoid continuous scrolling, which is distracting to the @@ -9046,8 +9046,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon alternation of comma-separated alternatives; thus, `foo{baz,qux}' would be read as `foobaz' or `fooqux' - Some examples: "He said his name was [KC]arl" (expresses - ambiguity). "I don't read talk.politics.*" (any of the + Some examples: He said his name was [KC]arl (expresses + ambiguity). I don't read talk.politics.* (any of the talk.politics subgroups on {USENET}). Other examples are given under the entry for {X}. Note that glob patterns are similar, but not identical, to those used in {regexp}s. @@ -9060,8 +9060,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon outrage, as when one attempts to save the results of two hours of editing and finds that the system has just crashed. 2. Used as a name for just about anything. See {foo}. 3. vt. Similar to - {glitch}, but usually used reflexively. "My program just glorked - itself." See also {glark}. + {glitch}, but usually used reflexively. My program just glorked + itself. See also {glark}. :glue: n. Generic term for any interface logic or protocol that connects two component blocks. For example, {Blue @@ -9069,8 +9069,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon used to connect large VLSI's or circuit blocks `glue logic'. :gnarly: /nar'lee/ adj. Both {obscure} and {hairy} (sense - 1). "{Yow!} --- the tuned assembler implementation of BitBlt - is really gnarly!" From a similar but less specific usage in + 1). {Yow!} --- the tuned assembler implementation of BitBlt + is really gnarly! From a similar but less specific usage in surfer slang. :GNU: /gnoo/, *not* /noo/ 1. [acronym: `GNU's Not UNIX!', @@ -9080,8 +9080,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon designed for this project, have become very popular in hackerdom and elsewhere. The GNU project was designed partly to proselytize for RMS's position that information is community property and all - software source should be shared. One of its slogans is "Help - stamp out software hoarding!" Though this remains controversial + software source should be shared. One of its slogans is Help + stamp out software hoarding! Though this remains controversial (because it implicitly denies any right of designers to own, assign, and sell the results of their labors), many hackers who disagree with RMS have nevertheless cooperated to produce large @@ -9101,8 +9101,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon parlance, this is used of machines only, human death being considered somewhat too serious a matter to employ jargon-jokes about. 2. To go completely quiescent; said of machines undergoing - controlled shutdown. "You can suffer file damage if you shut down - UNIX but power off before the system has gone flatline." 3. Of a + controlled shutdown. You can suffer file damage if you shut down + UNIX but power off before the system has gone flatline. 3. Of a video tube, to fail by losing vertical scan, so all one sees is a bright horizontal line bisecting the screen. @@ -9113,10 +9113,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :go-faster stripes: [UK] Syn. {chrome}. Mainstream in some parts of UK. . -:gobble: vt. 1. To consume, usu. used with `up'. "The output - spy gobbles characters out of a {tty} output buffer." 2. To - obtain, usu. used with `down'. "I guess I'll gobble down a copy - of the documentation tomorrow." See also {snarf}. +:gobble: vt. 1. To consume, usu. used with `up'. The output + spy gobbles characters out of a {tty} output buffer. 2. To + obtain, usu. used with `down'. I guess I'll gobble down a copy + of the documentation tomorrow. See also {snarf}. :Godzillagram: /god-zil'*-gram/ n. [from Japan's national hero] 1. A network packet that in theory is a broadcast to every machine @@ -9146,12 +9146,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :gonk: /gonk/ vt.,n. 1. To prevaricate or to embellish the truth beyond any reasonable recognition. In German the term is (mythically) `gonken'; in Spanish the verb becomes `gonkar'. - "You're gonking me. That story you just told me is a bunch of - gonk." In German, for example, "Du gonkst mir" (You're pulling + You're gonking me. That story you just told me is a bunch of + gonk. In German, for example, Du gonkst mir (You're pulling my leg). See also {gonkulator}. 2. [British] To grab some sleep at an odd time; compare {gronk out}. -:gonkulator: /gon'kyoo-lay-tr/ [from the old "Hogan's Heroes" TV +:gonkulator: /gon'kyoo-lay-tr/ [from the old Hogan's Heroes TV series] n. A pretentious piece of equipment that actually serves no useful purpose. Usually used to describe one's least favorite piece of computer hardware. See {gonk}. @@ -9164,13 +9164,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Good Thing: n.,adj. Often capitalized; always pronounced as if capitalized. 1. Self-evidently wonderful to anyone in a position - to notice: "The Trailblazer's 19.2Kbaud PEP mode with on-the-fly + to notice: The Trailblazer's 19.2Kbaud PEP mode with on-the-fly Lempel-Ziv compression is a Good Thing for sites relaying - netnews." 2. Something that can't possibly have any ill - side-effects and may save considerable grief later: "Removing the + netnews. 2. Something that can't possibly have any ill + side-effects and may save considerable grief later: Removing the self-modifying code from that shared library would be a Good - Thing." 3. When said of software tools or libraries, as in "YACC - is a Good Thing", specifically connotes that the thing has + Thing. 3. When said of software tools or libraries, as in YACC + is a Good Thing, specifically connotes that the thing has drastically reduced a programmer's work load. Oppose {Bad Thing}. @@ -9190,9 +9190,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon a very few selections, the arm begins to feel sore, cramped, and oversized --- the operator looks like a gorilla while using the touch screen and feels like one afterwards. This is now considered - a classic cautionary tale to human-factors designers; "Remember - the gorilla arm!" is shorthand for "How is this going to fly in - *real* use?". + a classic cautionary tale to human-factors designers; Remember + the gorilla arm! is shorthand for How is this going to fly in + *real* use?. :gorp: /gorp/ [CMU: perhaps from the canonical hiker's food, Good Old Raisins and Peanuts] Another {metasyntactic variable}, like @@ -9243,9 +9243,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Great Renaming: n. The {flag day} in 1985 on which all of the non-local groups on the {USENET} had their names changed from the net.- format to the current multiple-hierarchies scheme. Used - esp. in discussing the history of newsgroup names. "The oldest + esp. in discussing the history of newsgroup names. The oldest sources group is comp.sources.misc; before the Great Renaming, - it was net.sources." + it was net.sources. :Great Runes: n. Uppercase-only text or display messages. Some archaic operating systems still emit these. See also {runes}, @@ -9265,8 +9265,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon up through {management}. The chairman of Teletype killed the proposal because it failed one incredibly important criterion: - "It would be impossible to spell the name of the Deity - correctly." + It would be impossible to spell the name of the Deity + correctly. In this way (or so, at least, hacker folklore has it) superstition triumphed over utility. Teletypes were the major input devices on @@ -9278,8 +9278,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {RTM}. This is a play on Tolkien (compare {elvish}, {elder days}). In the fantasy history of his Middle Earth books, there were dragons powerful enough to lay waste to entire - regions; two of these (Scatha and Glaurung) were known as "the - Great Worms". This usage expresses the connotation that the RTM + regions; two of these (Scatha and Glaurung) were known as the + Great Worms. This usage expresses the connotation that the RTM hack was a sort of devastating watershed event in hackish history; certainly it did more to make non-hackers nervous about the Internet than anything before or since. @@ -9287,7 +9287,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :great-wall: [from SF fandom] vi.,n. A mass expedition to an oriental restaurant, esp. one where food is served family-style and shared. There is a common heuristic about the amount of food - to order, expressed as "Get N - 1 entrees"; the value of N, + to order, expressed as Get N - 1 entrees; the value of N, which is the number of people in the group, can be inferred from context (see {N}). See {{oriental food}}, {ravs}, {stir-fried random}. @@ -9306,8 +9306,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon standard utility toolkit, systems administrations features, and the like. This grimoire is taken with particular seriousness in Europe. See {Purple Book}. 4. The IEEE 1003.1 POSIX Operating - Systems Interface standard has been dubbed "The Ugly Green - Book". 5. Any of the 1992 standards issued by the CCITT's tenth + Systems Interface standard has been dubbed The Ugly Green + Book. 5. Any of the 1992 standards issued by the CCITT's tenth plenary assembly. These include, among other things, the X.400 email standard and the Group 1 through 4 fax standards. See also {{book titles}}. @@ -9319,22 +9319,22 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (ca. 1962) at which these two approaches were being debated and the diagram of the file on the blackboard had the `green bytes' drawn in green. 2. By extension, the non-data bits in any - self-describing format. "A GIF file contains, among other things, - green bytes describing the packing method for the image." Compare + self-describing format. A GIF file contains, among other things, + green bytes describing the packing method for the image. Compare {out-of-band}, {zigamorph}, {fence} (sense 1). :green card: n. [after the `IBM System/360 Reference Data' card] A summary of an assembly language, even if the color is not green. Less frequently used now because of the decrease in the use - of assembly language. "I'll go get my green card so I can check - the addressing mode for that instruction." Some green cards are + of assembly language. I'll go get my green card so I can check + the addressing mode for that instruction. Some green cards are actually booklets. The original green card became a yellow card when the System/370 was introduced, and later a yellow booklet. An anecdote from IBM refers to a scene that took place in a programmers' terminal room at Yorktown in 1978. A luser overheard one of the programmers ask - another "Do you have a green card?" The other grunted and + another Do you have a green card? The other grunted and passed the first a thick yellow booklet. At this point the luser turned a delicate shade of olive and rapidly left the room, never to return.. @@ -9347,9 +9347,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon microprocessor-driven IBM color graphics displays were actually *programmed* to produce green lightning! 2. [proposed] Any bug perverted into an alleged feature by adroit rationalization or - marketing. "Motorola calls the CISC cruft in the 88000 + marketing. Motorola calls the CISC cruft in the 88000 architecture `compatibility logic', but I call it green - lightning". See also {feature} (sense 6). + lightning. See also {feature} (sense 6). :green machine: n. A computer or peripheral device that has been designed and built to military specifications for field equipment @@ -9370,8 +9370,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon via {{UNIX}} `grep(1)'] vt. To rapidly scan a file or set of files looking for a particular string or pattern (when browsing through a large set of files, one may speak of `grepping - around'). By extension, to look for something by pattern. "Grep - the bulletin board for the system backup schedule, would you?" + around'). By extension, to look for something by pattern. Grep + the bulletin board for the system backup schedule, would you? See also {vgrep}. :grilf: // n. Girl-friend. Like {newsfroup} and {filk}, a @@ -9390,8 +9390,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon task. Similar to {crunch} or {grovel}. Grinding has a connotation of using a lot of CPU time, but it is possible to grind a disk, network, etc. See also {hog}. 4. To make the whole - system slow. "Troff really grinds a PDP-11." 5. `grind grind' - excl. Roughly, "Isn't the machine slow today!" + system slow. Troff really grinds a PDP-11. 5. `grind grind' + excl. Roughly, Isn't the machine slow today! :grind crank: n. A mythical accessory to a terminal. A crank on the side of a monitor, which when operated makes a zizzing noise and @@ -9418,7 +9418,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon more formal channels. :gritch: /grich/ 1. n. A complaint (often caused by a {glitch}). - 2. vi. To complain. Often verb-doubled: "Gritch gritch". 3. A + 2. vi. To complain. Often verb-doubled: Gritch gritch. 3. A synonym for {glitch} (as verb or noun). :grok: /grok/, var. /grohk/ [from the novel `Stranger in @@ -9428,36 +9428,36 @@ The Jargon Lexicon intimate and exhaustive knowledge. Contrast {zen}, which is similar supernal understanding experienced as a single brief flash. See also {glark}. 2. Used of programs, may connote merely sufficient - understanding. "Almost all C compilers grok the `void' type - these days." + understanding. Almost all C compilers grok the `void' type + these days. :gronk: /gronk/ [popularized by Johnny Hart's comic strip - "B.C." but the word apparently predates that] vt. 1. To + B.C. but the word apparently predates that] vt. 1. To clear the state of a wedged device and restart it. More severe than `to {frob}' (sense 2). 2. [TMRC] To cut, sever, smash, or similarly disable. 3. The sound made by many 3.5-inch diskette drives. In particular, the microfloppies on a Commodore Amiga go - "grink, gronk". + grink, gronk. :gronk out: vi. To cease functioning. Of people, to go home and go - to sleep. "I guess I'll gronk out now; see you all tomorrow." + to sleep. I guess I'll gronk out now; see you all tomorrow. -:gronked: adj. 1. Broken. "The teletype scanner was gronked, so - we took the system down." 2. Of people, the condition of feeling - very tired or (less commonly) sick. "I've been chasing that bug - for 17 hours now and I am thoroughly gronked!" Compare +:gronked: adj. 1. Broken. The teletype scanner was gronked, so + we took the system down. 2. Of people, the condition of feeling + very tired or (less commonly) sick. I've been chasing that bug + for 17 hours now and I am thoroughly gronked! Compare {broken}, which means about the same as {gronk} used of hardware, but connotes depression or mental/emotional problems in people. :grovel: vi. 1. To work interminably and without apparent progress. - Often used transitively with `over' or `through'. "The file + Often used transitively with `over' or `through'. The file scavenger has been groveling through the /usr directories for 10 - minutes now." Compare {grind} and {crunch}. Emphatic form: + minutes now. Compare {grind} and {crunch}. Emphatic form: `grovel obscenely'. 2. To examine minutely or in complete detail. - "The compiler grovels over the entire source program before - beginning to translate it." "I grovelled through all the - documentation, but I still couldn't find the command I wanted." + The compiler grovels over the entire source program before + beginning to translate it. I grovelled through all the + documentation, but I still couldn't find the command I wanted. :grunge: /gruhnj/ n. 1. That which is grungy, or that which makes it so. 2. [Cambridge] Code which is inaccessible due to changes in @@ -9466,7 +9466,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :gubbish: /guhb'*sh/ [a portmanteau of `garbage' and `rubbish'; may have originated with SF author Philip K. Dick] - n. Garbage; crap; nonsense. "What is all this gubbish?" The + n. Garbage; crap; nonsense. What is all this gubbish? The opposite portmanteau `rubbage' is also reported. :guiltware: /gilt'weir/ n. 1. A piece of {freeware} decorated @@ -9481,17 +9481,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon maneuver' or `pull a gumby'. :gun: [ITS: from the `:GUN' command] vt. To forcibly - terminate a program or job (computer, not career). "Some idiot + terminate a program or job (computer, not career). Some idiot left a background process running soaking up half the cycles, so I - gunned it." Compare {can}. + gunned it. Compare {can}. :gunch: /guhnch/ [TMRC] vt. To push, prod, or poke at a device that has almost (but not quite) produced the desired result. Implies a threat to {mung}. -:gurfle: /ger'fl/ interj. An expression of shocked disbelief. "He +:gurfle: /ger'fl/ interj. An expression of shocked disbelief. He said we have to recode this thing in FORTRAN by next week. - Gurfle!" Compare {weeble}. + Gurfle! Compare {weeble}. :guru: n. [UNIX] An expert. Implies not only {wizard} skill but also a history of being a knowledge resource for others. Less @@ -9500,8 +9500,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :guru meditation: n. Amiga equivalent of `panic' in UNIX (sometimes just called a `guru' or `guru event'). When the - system crashes, a cryptic message of the form "GURU MEDITATION - #XXXXXXXX.YYYYYYYY" may appear, indicating what the problem + system crashes, a cryptic message of the form GURU MEDITATION + #XXXXXXXX.YYYYYYYY may appear, indicating what the problem was. An Amiga guru can figure things out from the numbers. Generally a {guru} event must be followed by a {Vulcan nerve pinch}. @@ -9521,10 +9521,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon be found at the College Computing Center punching cards or crashing the {PDP-10} or, later, the DEC-20. The term has survived the demise of those technologies, however, and is still alive in late - 1991. "I'm going to go gweep for a while. See you in the - morning" "I gweep from 8 PM till 3 AM during the week." - 2. n. One who habitually gweeps in sense 1; a {hacker}. "He's - a hard-core gweep, mumbles code in his sleep." + 1991. I'm going to go gweep for a while. See you in the + morning I gweep from 8 PM till 3 AM during the week. + 2. n. One who habitually gweeps in sense 1; a {hacker}. He's + a hard-core gweep, mumbles code in his sleep. = H = ===== @@ -9532,7 +9532,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :h: [from SF fandom] infix. A method of `marking' common words, i.e., calling attention to the fact that they are being used in a nonstandard, ironic, or humorous way. Originated in the fannish - catchphrase "Bheer is the One True Ghod!" from decades ago. + catchphrase Bheer is the One True Ghod! from decades ago. H-infix marking of `Ghod' and other words spread into the 1960s counterculture via underground comix, and into early hackerdom either from the counterculture or from SF fandom (the three @@ -9559,16 +9559,16 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :hack: 1. n. Originally, a quick job that produces what is needed, but not well. 2. n. An incredibly good, and perhaps very time-consuming, piece of work that produces exactly what is needed. - 3. vt. To bear emotionally or physically. "I can't hack this - heat!" 4. vt. To work on something (typically a program). In an - immediate sense: "What are you doing?" "I'm hacking TECO." - In a general (time-extended) sense: "What do you do around here?" - "I hack TECO." More generally, "I hack `foo'" is roughly - equivalent to "`foo' is my major interest (or project)". "I - hack solid-state physics." 5. vt. To pull a prank on. See + 3. vt. To bear emotionally or physically. I can't hack this + heat! 4. vt. To work on something (typically a program). In an + immediate sense: What are you doing? I'm hacking TECO. + In a general (time-extended) sense: What do you do around here? + I hack TECO. More generally, I hack `foo' is roughly + equivalent to `foo' is my major interest (or project). I + hack solid-state physics. 5. vt. To pull a prank on. See sense 2 and {hacker} (sense 5). 6. vi. To interact with a computer in a playful and exploratory rather than goal-directed - way. "Whatcha up to?" "Oh, just hacking." 7. n. Short for + way. Whatcha up to? Oh, just hacking. 7. n. Short for {hacker}. 8. See {nethack}. 9. [MIT] v. To explore the basements, roof ledges, and steam tunnels of a large, institutional building, to the dismay of Physical Plant workers and @@ -9581,7 +9581,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (a farewell), `how's hacking?' (a friendly greeting among hackers) and `hack, hack' (a fairly content-free but friendly comment, often used as a temporary farewell). For more on this - totipotent term see "{The Meaning of `Hack'}". See + totipotent term see {The Meaning of `Hack'}. See also {neat hack}, {real hack}. :hack attack: [poss. by analogy with `Big Mac Attack' from ads @@ -9638,9 +9638,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon installed purely for hack value. See {display hack} for one method of computing hack value, but this cannot really be explained, only experienced. As Louis Armstrong once said when - asked to explain jazz: "Man, if you gotta ask you'll never know." - (Feminists please note Fats Waller's explanation of rhythm: "Lady, - if you got to ask you ain't got it.") + asked to explain jazz: Man, if you gotta ask you'll never know. + (Feminists please note Fats Waller's explanation of rhythm: Lady, + if you got to ask you ain't got it.) :hacked off: [analogous to `pissed off'] adj. Said of system administrators who have become annoyed, upset, or touchy owing to @@ -9734,8 +9734,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon This information (the INQUIR record) was a sort of form in which the user could fill out various fields. On display, two of these fields were always combined into a project description of the form - "Hacking X for Y" (e.g., `"Hacking perceptrons for - Minsky"'). This form of description became traditional and has + Hacking X for Y (e.g., `Hacking perceptrons for + Minsky'). This form of description became traditional and has since been carried over to other systems with more general facilities for self-advertisement (such as UNIX {plan file}s). @@ -9754,25 +9754,25 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :hackitude: n. Syn. {hackishness}; this word is considered sillier. :hair: [back-formation from {hairy}] n. The complications that - make something hairy. "Decoding {TECO} commands requires a - certain amount of hair." Often seen in the phrase `infinite + make something hairy. Decoding {TECO} commands requires a + certain amount of hair. Often seen in the phrase `infinite hair', which connotes extreme complexity. Also in `hairiferous' - (tending to promote hair growth): "GNUMACS elisp encourages lusers - to write complex editing modes." "Yeah, it's pretty hairiferous - all right." (or just: "Hair squared!") + (tending to promote hair growth): GNUMACS elisp encourages lusers + to write complex editing modes. Yeah, it's pretty hairiferous + all right. (or just: Hair squared!) -:hairy: adj. 1. Annoyingly complicated. "{DWIM} is incredibly - hairy." 2. Incomprehensible. "{DWIM} is incredibly hairy." +:hairy: adj. 1. Annoyingly complicated. {DWIM} is incredibly + hairy. 2. Incomprehensible. {DWIM} is incredibly hairy. 3. Of people, high-powered, authoritative, rare, expert, and/or - incomprehensible. Hard to explain except in context: "He knows - this hairy lawyer who says there's nothing to worry about." See + incomprehensible. Hard to explain except in context: He knows + this hairy lawyer who says there's nothing to worry about. See also {hirsute}. A well-known result in topology called the Brouwer Fixed-Point Theorem states that any continuous transformation of a surface into itself has at least one fixed point. Mathematically literate hackers tend to associate the term `hairy' with the informal - version of this theorem; "You can't comb a hairy ball smooth." + version of this theorem; You can't comb a hairy ball smooth. The adjective `long-haired' is well-attested to have been in slang use among scientists and engineers during the early 1950s; it @@ -9786,7 +9786,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :HAKMEM: /hak'mem/ n. MIT AI Memo 239 (February 1972). A legendary collection of neat mathematical and programming hacks contributed by many people at MIT and elsewhere. (The title of the - memo really is "HAKMEM", which is a 6-letterism for `hacks + memo really is HAKMEM, which is a 6-letterism for `hacks memo'.) Some of them are very useful techniques, powerful theorems, or interesting unsolved problems, but most fall into the category of mathematical and computer trivia. Here is a sampling @@ -9833,13 +9833,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon integer and a floating-point number, the bit patterns of the two representations are identical. - Item 176 (Gosper): The "banana phenomenon" was encountered when + Item 176 (Gosper): The banana phenomenon was encountered when processing a character string by taking the last 3 letters typed out, searching for a random occurrence of that sequence in the text, taking the letter following that occurrence, typing it out, and iterating. This ensures that every 4-letter string output occurs in the original. The program typed BANANANANANANANA.... We - note an ambiguity in the phrase, "the Nth occurrence of." In one + note an ambiguity in the phrase, the Nth occurrence of. In one sense, there are five 00's in 0000000000; in another, there are nine. The editing program TECO finds five. Thus it finds only the first ANA in BANANA, and is thus obligated to type N next. By @@ -9860,8 +9860,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ASCII characters the names of which are phonetically similar or equivalent, while multiple letters are usually dropped. Hence, `for' becomes `4'; `two', `too', and `to' become `2'; `ck' - becomes `k'. "Before I see you tomorrow" becomes "b4 i c u - 2moro". First appeared in London about 1986, and was probably + becomes `k'. Before I see you tomorrow becomes b4 i c u + 2moro. First appeared in London about 1986, and was probably caused by the slowness of available talker systems, which operated on archaic machines with outdated operating systems and no standard methods of communication. Has become rarer since. @@ -9910,24 +9910,24 @@ The Jargon Lexicon perform a normally automated software installation or configuration process {by hand}; implies that the normal process failed due to bugs in the configurator or was defeated by something exceptional - in the local environment. "The worst thing about being a gateway + in the local environment. The worst thing about being a gateway between four different nets is having to hand-roll a new sendmail - configuration every time any of them upgrades." + configuration every time any of them upgrades. :handshaking: n. Hardware or software activity designed to start or keep two machines or programs in synchronization as they {do protocol}. Often applied to human activity; thus, a hacker might watch two people in conversation nodding their heads to indicate - that they have heard each others' points and say "Oh, they're - handshaking!". See also {protocol}. + that they have heard each others' points and say Oh, they're + handshaking!. See also {protocol}. :handwave: [poss. from gestures characteristic of stage magicians] 1. v. To gloss over a complex point; to distract a listener; to support a (possibly actually valid) point with blatantly faulty - logic. 2. n. The act of handwaving. "Boy, what a handwave!" + logic. 2. n. The act of handwaving. Boy, what a handwave! - If someone starts a sentence with "Clearly..." or - "Obviously..." or "It is self-evident that...", it is + If someone starts a sentence with Clearly... or + Obviously... or It is self-evident that..., it is a good bet he is about to handwave (alternatively, use of these constructions in a sarcastic tone before a paraphrase of someone else's argument suggests that it is a handwave). The theory behind @@ -9946,19 +9946,19 @@ The Jargon Lexicon your hands in this way, as an accusation, far more eloquent than words could express, that his logic is faulty. -:hang: v. 1. To wait for an event that will never occur. "The - system is hanging because it can't read from the crashed drive". +:hang: v. 1. To wait for an event that will never occur. The + system is hanging because it can't read from the crashed drive. See {wedged}, {hung}. 2. To wait for some event to occur; to - hang around until something happens. "The program displays a menu - and then hangs until you type a character." Compare {block}. + hang around until something happens. The program displays a menu + and then hangs until you type a character. Compare {block}. 3. To attach a peripheral device, esp. in the construction `hang - off': "We're going to hang another tape drive off the file - server." Implies a device attached with cables, rather than + off': We're going to hang another tape drive off the file + server. Implies a device attached with cables, rather than something that is strictly inside the machine's chassis. :Hanlon's Razor: prov. A corollary of {Finagle's Law}, similar to - Occam's Razor, that reads "Never attribute to malice that which can - be adequately explained by stupidity." The derivation of the + Occam's Razor, that reads Never attribute to malice that which can + be adequately explained by stupidity. The derivation of the common title Hanlon's Razor is unknown; a similar epigram has been attributed to William James. Quoted here because it seems to be a particular favorite of hackers, often showing up in {fortune @@ -9971,8 +9971,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon unaware of some important fact about its environment, either because it has been fooled into believing a lie, or because it doesn't care. The sense of `happy' here is not that of elation, - but rather that of blissful ignorance. "The program continues to - run, happily unaware that its output is going to /dev/null." + but rather that of blissful ignorance. The program continues to + run, happily unaware that its output is going to /dev/null. :haque: /hak/ [USENET] n. Variant spelling of {hack}, used only for the noun form and connoting an {elegant} hack. @@ -9987,7 +9987,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon `#define' macro (see {magic number}). :hardwarily: /hard-weir'*-lee/ adv. In a way pertaining to - hardware. "The system is hardwarily unreliable." The adjective + hardware. The system is hardwarily unreliable. The adjective `hardwary' is *not* traditionally used, though it has recently been reported from the U.K. See {softwarily}. @@ -9996,10 +9996,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of customizable to one's particular needs or tastes. :has the X nature: [seems to derive from Zen Buddhist koans of the - form "Does an X have the Buddha-nature?"] adj. Common hacker - construction for `is an X', used for humorous emphasis. "Anyone + form Does an X have the Buddha-nature?] adj. Common hacker + construction for `is an X', used for humorous emphasis. Anyone who can't even use a program with on-screen help embedded in it - truly has the {loser} nature!" See also {the X that can be Y + truly has the {loser} nature! See also {the X that can be Y is not the true X}. :hash bucket: n. A notional receptacle into which more than one @@ -10010,8 +10010,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon techspeak with respect to code that uses actual hash functions; in jargon, it is used for human associative memory as well. Thus, two things `in the same hash bucket' may be confused with each other. - "If you hash English words only by length, you get too many common - grammar words in the first couple of hash buckets." Compare {hash + If you hash English words only by length, you get too many common + grammar words in the first couple of hash buckets. Compare {hash collision}. :hash collision: [from the technical usage] n. (var. `hash @@ -10019,9 +10019,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon memory or imagination, especially a persistent one (see {thinko}). True story: One of us [ESR] was once on the phone with a friend about to move out to Berkeley. When asked what he - expected Berkeley to be like, the friend replied: "Well, I have + expected Berkeley to be like, the friend replied: Well, I have this mental picture of naked women throwing Molotov cocktails, but - I think that's just a collision in my hash tables." Compare + I think that's just a collision in my hash tables. Compare {hash bucket}. :hat: n. Common (spoken) name for the circumflex (`^', ASCII @@ -10070,7 +10070,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {deep magic}, which trades more on arcane *theoretical* knowledge. Writing device drivers is heavy wizardry; so is interfacing to {X} (sense 2) without a toolkit. Esp. found in - comments similar to "Heavy wizardry begins here ...". Compare + comments similar to Heavy wizardry begins here .... Compare {voodoo programming}. :heavyweight: adj. High-overhead; {baroque}; code-intensive; @@ -10108,8 +10108,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :hello, sailor!: interj. Occasional West Coast equivalent of {hello, world}; seems to have originated at SAIL, later - associated with the game {Zork} (which also included "hello, - aviator" and "hello, implementor"). Originally from the + associated with the game {Zork} (which also included hello, + aviator and hello, implementor). Originally from the traditional hooker's greeting to a swabbie fresh off the boat, of course. @@ -10118,14 +10118,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :hello, world: interj. 1. The canonical minimal test message in the C/UNIX universe. 2. Any of the minimal programs that emit this message. Traditionally, the first program a C coder is supposed to - write in a new environment is one that just prints "hello, world" + write in a new environment is one that just prints hello, world to standard output (and indeed it is the first example program in {K&R}). Environments that generate an unreasonably large executable for this trivial test or which require a {hairy} compiler-linker invocation to generate it are considered to {lose} (see {X}). 3. Greeting uttered by a hacker making an - entrance or requesting information from anyone present. "Hello, - world! Is the {VAX} back up yet?" + entrance or requesting information from anyone present. Hello, + world! Is the {VAX} back up yet? :hex: n. 1. Short for {{hexadecimal}}, base 16. 2. A 6-pack of anything (compare {quad}, sense 2). Neither usage has @@ -10175,8 +10175,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :high bit: [from `high-order bit'] n. 1. The most significant bit in a byte. 2. By extension, the most significant part of - something other than a data byte: "Spare me the whole {saga}, - just give me the high bit." See also {meta bit}, {hobbit}, + something other than a data byte: Spare me the whole {saga}, + just give me the high bit. See also {meta bit}, {hobbit}, {dread high-bit disease}, and compare the mainstream slang `bottom line'. @@ -10227,8 +10227,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon complex or that are merely painfully slow themselves (see {pig, run like a}). More often than not encountered in qualified forms, e.g., `memory hog', `core hog', `hog the processor', `hog - the disk'. "A controller that never gives up the I/O bus - gets killed after the bus-hog timer expires." 2. Also said + the disk'. A controller that never gives up the I/O bus + gets killed after the bus-hog timer expires. 2. Also said of *people* who use more than their fair share of resources (particularly disk, where it seems that 10% of the people use 90% of the disk, no matter how big the disk is or how many people use @@ -10240,7 +10240,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon war}s over {religious issues}. The paper by Danny Cohen that popularized the terms {big-endian} and {little-endian} in connection with the LSB-first/MSB-first controversy was entitled - "On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace". Other perennial Holy + On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace. Other perennial Holy Wars have included {EMACS} vs. {vi}, my personal computer vs. everyone else's personal computer, {{ITS}} vs. {{UNIX}}, {{UNIX}} vs. {VMS}, {BSD} UNIX vs. {USG UNIX}, {C} vs. @@ -10252,8 +10252,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {theology}. :home box: n. A hacker's personal machine, especially one he or she - owns. "Yeah? Well, *my* home box runs a full 4.2 BSD, so - there!" + owns. Yeah? Well, *my* home box runs a full 4.2 BSD, so + there! :home machine: n. 1. Syn. {home box}. 2. The machine that receives your email. These senses might be distinct, for example, @@ -10286,8 +10286,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {bang path}. :hose: 1. vt. To make non-functional or greatly degraded in - performance. "That big ray-tracing program really hoses the - system." See {hosed}. 2. n. A narrow channel through which + performance. That big ray-tracing program really hoses the + system. See {hosed}. 2. n. A narrow channel through which data flows under pressure. Generally denotes data paths that represent performance bottlenecks. 3. n. Cabling, especially thick Ethernet cable. This is sometimes called `bit hose' or @@ -10318,8 +10318,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon tight loops and recursions in the code's central algorithm, as opposed to (say) initial set-up costs or large but infrequent I/O operations. See {tune}, {bum}, {hand-hacking}. 2. The - active location of a cursor on a bit-map display. "Put the - mouse's hot spot on the `ON' widget and click the left button." + active location of a cursor on a bit-map display. Put the + mouse's hot spot on the `ON' widget and click the left button. 3. A screen region that is sensitive to mouse clicks, which trigger some action. Hypertext help screens are an example, in which a hot spot exists in the vicinity of any word for which additional @@ -10341,7 +10341,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon portability problems). HP-UX is often referred to as `hockey-pux' inside HP, and one respondent claims that the proper pronunciation is /H-P ukkkhhhh/ as though one were about to spit. Another such - alternate spelling and pronunciation is "H-PUX" /H-puhks/. + alternate spelling and pronunciation is H-PUX /H-puhks/. Hackers at HP/Apollo (the former Apollo Computers which was swallowed by HP in 1989) have been heard to complain that Mr. Packard should have pushed to have his name first, if for no @@ -10369,7 +10369,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon 1. Fascination with form-vs.-content jokes, paradoxes, and humor having to do with confusion of metalevels (see {meta}). One way to make a hacker laugh: hold a red index card in front of him/her - with "GREEN" written on it, or vice-versa (note, however, that + with GREEN written on it, or vice-versa (note, however, that this is funny only the first time). 2. Elaborate deadpan parodies of large intellectual constructs, @@ -10412,34 +10412,34 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :hungry puppy: n. Syn. {slopsucker}. :hungus: /huhng'g*s/ [perhaps related to slang `humongous'] adj. - Large, unwieldy, usually unmanageable. "TCP is a hungus piece of - code." "This is a hungus set of modifications." + Large, unwieldy, usually unmanageable. TCP is a hungus piece of + code. This is a hungus set of modifications. :hyperspace: /hi:'per-spays/ n. A memory location that is *far* away from where the program counter should be pointing, often - inaccessible because it is not even mapped in. "Another core + inaccessible because it is not even mapped in. Another core dump --- looks like the program jumped off to hyperspace - somehow." (Compare {jump off into never-never land}.) This + somehow. (Compare {jump off into never-never land}.) This usage is from the SF notion of a spaceship jumping `into hyperspace', that is, taking a shortcut through higher-dimensional space --- in other words, bypassing this universe. The variant `east hyperspace' is recorded among CMU and Bliss hackers. :hysterical reasons: (also `hysterical raisins') n. A variant on - the stock phrase "for historical reasons", it specifically + the stock phrase for historical reasons, it specifically indicates that something must be done in some stupid way for backwards compatibility, and moreover that the feature it must be compatible with was the result of a bad design in the first place. - "All IBM PC video adapters have to support MDA text mode for - hysterical reasons." Compare {bug-for-bug compatible}. + All IBM PC video adapters have to support MDA text mode for + hysterical reasons. Compare {bug-for-bug compatible}. = I = ===== :I didn't change anything!: interj. An aggrieved cry often heard as bugs manifest during a regression test. The {canonical} reply to - this assertion is "Then it works just the same as it did before, - doesn't it?" See also {one-line fix}. This is also heard from + this assertion is Then it works just the same as it did before, + doesn't it? See also {one-line fix}. This is also heard from applications programmers trying to blame an obvious applications problem on an unrelated systems software change, for example a divide-by-0 fault after terminals were added to a network. @@ -10450,8 +10450,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :I see no X here.: Hackers (and the interactive computer games they write) traditionally favor this slightly marked usage over other - possible equivalents such as "There's no X here!" or "X is - missing." or "Where's the X?". This goes back to the original + possible equivalents such as There's no X here! or X is + missing. or Where's the X?. This goes back to the original PDP-10 {ADVENT}, which would respond in this wise if you asked it to do something involving an object not present at your location in the game. @@ -10503,7 +10503,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Neither term is in serious use yet as of mid-1993, but many hackers find the metaphor attractive, and each may develop a denotation in the future. In the meantime, the speculative usage chould be - confused with `ICE', an acronym for "in-circuit emulator". + confused with `ICE', an acronym for in-circuit emulator. :idempotent: [from mathematical techspeak] adj. Acting as if used only once, even if used multiple times. This term is often used @@ -10521,8 +10521,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :If you want X, you know where to find it.: There is a legend that Dennis Ritchie, inventor of {C}, once responded to demands for features resembling those of what at the time was a much more - popular language by observing "If you want PL/I, you know where to - find it." Ever since, this has been hackish standard form for + popular language by observing If you want PL/I, you know where to + find it. Ever since, this has been hackish standard form for fending off requests to alter a new design to mimic some older (and, by implication, inferior and {baroque}) one. The case X = {Pascal} manifests semi-regularly on USENET's comp.lang.c @@ -10546,9 +10546,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {mess-dos}. :IMHO: // [from SF fandom via USENET; abbreviation for `In My Humble - Opinion'] "IMHO, mixed-case C names should be avoided, as + Opinion'] IMHO, mixed-case C names should be avoided, as mistyping something in the wrong case can cause hard-to-detect - errors --- and they look too Pascalish anyhow." Also seen in + errors --- and they look too Pascalish anyhow. Also seen in variant forms such as IMNSHO (In My Not-So-Humble Opinion) and IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion). @@ -10560,7 +10560,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon mid-1983, to predictions of the imminent collapse (or death) of the net. Ten years and numerous doublings later, enough of these gloomy prognostications have been confounded that the phrase - "Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted!" has become a running joke, + Imminent Death Of The Net Predicted! has become a running joke, hauled out any time someone grumbles about the {S/N ratio} or the huge and steadily increasing volume or the possible loss of a key node or link, or the potential for lawsuits when ignoramuses @@ -10580,15 +10580,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon one must mutter at a system to attain a desired result. Not used of passwords or other explicit security features. Especially used of tricks that are so poorly documented they must be learned from a - {wizard}. "This compiler normally locates initialized data + {wizard}. This compiler normally locates initialized data in the data segment, but if you {mutter} the right incantation they - will be forced into text space." + will be forced into text space. :include: vt. [USENET] 1. To duplicate a portion (or whole) of another's message (typically with attribution to the source) in a reply or followup, for clarifying the context of one's response. - See the the discussion of inclusion styles under "Hacker - Writing Style". 2. [from {C}] `#include ' + See the the discussion of inclusion styles under Hacker + Writing Style. 2. [from {C}] `#include ' has appeared in {sig block}s to refer to a notional `standard {disclaimer} file'. @@ -10674,24 +10674,24 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {bathtub curve}, {burn-in period}. :infinite: adj. Consisting of a large number of objects; extreme. - Used very loosely as in: "This program produces infinite - garbage." "He is an infinite loser." The word most likely to + Used very loosely as in: This program produces infinite + garbage. He is an infinite loser. The word most likely to follow `infinite', though, is {hair} (it has been pointed out that fractals are an excellent example of infinite hair). These uses are abuses of the word's mathematical meaning. The term `semi-infinite', denoting an immoderately large amount of some - resource, is also heard. "This compiler is taking a semi-infinite - amount of time to optimize my program." See also {semi}. + resource, is also heard. This compiler is taking a semi-infinite + amount of time to optimize my program. See also {semi}. :infinite loop: n. One that never terminates (that is, the machine {spin}s or {buzz}es forever and goes {catatonic}). There is a standard joke that has been made about each generation's - exemplar of the ultra-fast machine: "The Cray-3 is so fast it can - execute an infinite loop in under 2 seconds!" + exemplar of the ultra-fast machine: The Cray-3 is so fast it can + execute an infinite loop in under 2 seconds! -:Infinite-Monkey Theorem: n. "If you put an {infinite} number +:Infinite-Monkey Theorem: n. If you put an {infinite} number of monkeys at typewriters, eventually one will bash out the script - for Hamlet." (One may also hypothesize a small number of monkeys + for Hamlet. (One may also hypothesize a small number of monkeys and a very long period of time.) This theorem asserts nothing about the intelligence of the one {random} monkey that eventually comes up with the script (and note that the mob will also type out @@ -10701,7 +10701,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon it, any technical challenge becomes a {one-banana problem}. This theorem was first popularized by the classic SF short story - "Inflexible Logic" by Russell Maloney, many younger hackers + Inflexible Logic by Russell Maloney, many younger hackers know it through a reference in Douglas Adams's `Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. @@ -10712,18 +10712,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon In N-bit twos-complement arithmetic, infinity is 2^(N-1) - 1 but minus infinity is - (2^(N-1)), not -(2^(N-1) - 1). Note also that this is different from - "time T equals minus infinity", which is closer to a + time T equals minus infinity, which is closer to a mathematician's usage of infinity. :initgame: /in-it'gaym/ [IRC] n. An {IRC} version of the - venerable trivia game "20 questions", in which one user changes + venerable trivia game 20 questions, in which one user changes his {nick} to the initials of a famous person or other named entity, and the others on the channel ask yes or no questions, with - the one to guess the person getting to be "it" next. As a + the one to guess the person getting to be it next. As a courtesy, the one picking the initials starts by providing a 4-letter hint of the form sex, nationality, life-status, - reality-status. For example, MAAR means "Male, American, Alive, - Real" (as opposed to "fictional"). Initgame can be surprisingly + reality-status. For example, MAAR means Male, American, Alive, + Real (as opposed to fictional). Initgame can be surprisingly addictive. See also {hing}. :insanely great: adj. [Mac community, from Steve Jobs; also BSD UNIX @@ -10763,7 +10763,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :interesting: adj. In hacker parlance, this word has strong connotations of `annoying', or `difficult', or both. Hackers relish a challenge, and enjoy wringing all the irony possible out - of the ancient Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times". + of the ancient Chinese curse May you live in interesting times. Oppose {trivial}, {uninteresting}. :Internet address:: n. 1. [techspeak] An absolute network address of @@ -10809,10 +10809,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :interrupt: 1. [techspeak] n. On a computer, an event that interrupts normal processing and temporarily diverts - flow-of-control through an "interrupt handler" routine. See also + flow-of-control through an interrupt handler routine. See also {trap}. 2. interj. A request for attention from a hacker. - Often explicitly spoken. "Interrupt --- have you seen Joe - recently?" See {priority interrupt}. 3. Under MS-DOS, the + Often explicitly spoken. Interrupt --- have you seen Joe + recently? See {priority interrupt}. 3. Under MS-DOS, the term `interrupt' is nearly synonymous with `system call', because the OS and BIOS routines are both called using the INT instruction (see {{interrupt list, the}}) and because programmers so often have @@ -10827,13 +10827,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :interrupts locked out: adj. When someone is ignoring you. In a restaurant, after several fruitless attempts to get the waitress's - attention, a hacker might well observe "She must have interrupts - locked out". The synonym `interrupts disabled' is also common. - Variations abound; "to have one's interrupt mask bit set" and - "interrupts masked out" is also heard. See also {spl}. + attention, a hacker might well observe She must have interrupts + locked out. The synonym `interrupts disabled' is also common. + Variations abound; to have one's interrupt mask bit set and + interrupts masked out is also heard. See also {spl}. -:IRC: /I-R-C/ [Internet Relay Chat] n. A worldwide "party - line" network that allows one to converse with others in real +:IRC: /I-R-C/ [Internet Relay Chat] n. A worldwide party + line network that allows one to converse with others in real time. IRC is structured as a network of Internet servers, each of which accepts connections from client programs, one per user. The IRC community and the {USENET} and {MUD} communities overlap @@ -10910,11 +10910,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :J. Random: /J rand'm/ n. [generalized from {J. Random Hacker}] Arbitrary; ordinary; any one; any old. `J. Random' is often prefixed to a noun to make a name out of it. It means roughly - `some particular' or `any specific one'. "Would you let - J. Random Loser marry your daughter?" The most common uses are + `some particular' or `any specific one'. Would you let + J. Random Loser marry your daughter? The most common uses are `J. Random Hacker', `J. Random Loser', and `J. Random Nerd' - ("Should J. Random Loser be allowed to {gun} down other - people?"), but it can be used simply as an elaborate version of + (Should J. Random Loser be allowed to {gun} down other + people?), but it can be used simply as an elaborate version of {random} in any sense. :J. Random Hacker: [MIT] /J rand'm hak'r/ n. A mythical figure @@ -10927,8 +10927,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :jack in: v. To log on to a machine or connect to a network or {BBS}, esp. for purposes of entering a {virtual reality} - simulation such as a {MUD} or {IRC} (leaving is "jacking - out"). This term derives from {cyberpunk} SF, in which it was + simulation such as a {MUD} or {IRC} (leaving is jacking + out). This term derives from {cyberpunk} SF, in which it was used for the act of plugging an electrode set into neural sockets in order to interface the brain directly to a virtual reality. It's primarily used by MUD and IRC fans and younger hackers on BBS @@ -10947,11 +10947,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon file names. Someone who actually understands and generates unique JCL is regarded with the mixed respect one gives to someone who memorizes the phone book. It is reported that hackers at IBM - itself sometimes sing "Who's the breeder of the crud that mangles - you and me? I-B-M, J-C-L, M-o-u-s-e" to the tune of the - "Mickey Mouse Club" theme to express their opinion of the + itself sometimes sing Who's the breeder of the crud that mangles + you and me? I-B-M, J-C-L, M-o-u-s-e to the tune of the + Mickey Mouse Club theme to express their opinion of the beast. 2. A comparative for any very {rude} software that a - hacker is expected to use. "That's as bad as JCL." As with + hacker is expected to use. That's as bad as JCL. As with {COBOL}, JCL is often used as an archetype of ugliness even by those who haven't experienced it. See also {IBM}, {fear and loathing}. @@ -10970,10 +10970,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon near-universal rejection. :JFCL: /jif'kl/, /jaf'kl/, /j*-fi'kl/ vt., obs. (alt. - `jfcl') To cancel or annul something. "Why don't you jfcl that - out?" The fastest do-nothing instruction on older models of the - PDP-10 happened to be JFCL, which stands for "Jump if Flag set and - then CLear the flag"; this does something useful, but is a very + `jfcl') To cancel or annul something. Why don't you jfcl that + out? The fastest do-nothing instruction on older models of the + PDP-10 happened to be JFCL, which stands for Jump if Flag set and + then CLear the flag; this does something useful, but is a very fast no-operation if no flag is specified. Geoff Goodfellow, one of the jargon-1 co-authors, had JFCL on the license plate of his BMW for years. Usage: rare except among old-time PDP-10 @@ -10982,7 +10982,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :jiffy: n. 1. The duration of one tick of the system clock on the computer (see {tick}). Often one AC cycle time (1/60 second in the U.S. and Canada, 1/50 most other places), but more recently - 1/100 sec has become common. "The swapper runs every 6 jiffies" + 1/100 sec has become common. The swapper runs every 6 jiffies means that the virtual memory management routine is executed once for every 6 ticks of the clock, or about ten times a second. 2. Confusingly, the term is sometimes also used for a 1-millisecond @@ -10990,7 +10990,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon semi-jokingly use `jiffy' to mean the time required for light to travel one foot in a vacuum, which turns out to be close to one *nanosecond*. 3. Indeterminate time from a few seconds to - forever. "I'll do it in a jiffy" means certainly not now and + forever. I'll do it in a jiffy means certainly not now and possibly never. This is a bit contrary to the more widespread use of the word. Oppose {nano}. See also {Real Soon Now}. @@ -11000,7 +11000,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon programmer was attempting to increase his job security (i.e., by making himself indispensable for maintenance). This sour joke seldom has to be said in full; if two hackers are looking over some - code together and one points at a section and says "job security", + code together and one points at a section and says job security, the other one may just nod. :jock: n. 1. A programmer who is characterized by large and somewhat @@ -11010,8 +11010,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the best-established examples of this. :joe code: /joh' kohd`/ n. 1. Code that is overly {tense} and - unmaintainable. "{Perl} may be a handy program, but if you look - at the source, it's complete joe code." 2. Badly written, + unmaintainable. {Perl} may be a handy program, but if you look + at the source, it's complete joe code. 2. Badly written, possibly buggy code. Correspondents wishing to remain anonymous have fingered a @@ -11029,8 +11029,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon used under {{TOPS-10}} and {WAITS}; they were understood to be the initials of (fictitious) programmers named `J. Random Loser' and `J. Random Nerd' (see {J. Random}). For example, if one - said "To log in, type log one comma jay are en" (that is, - "log 1,JRN"), the listener would have understood that he should + said To log in, type log one comma jay are en (that is, + log 1,JRN), the listener would have understood that he should use his own computer ID in place of `JRN'. :JRST: /jerst/ [based on the PDP-10 jump instruction] v.,obs. To @@ -11039,12 +11039,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon and considered silly. See also {AOS}. :juggling eggs: vi. Keeping a lot of {state} in your head while - modifying a program. "Don't bother me now, I'm juggling eggs", + modifying a program. Don't bother me now, I'm juggling eggs, means that an interrupt is likely to result in the program's being scrambled. In the classic first-contact SF novel `The Mote in God's Eye', by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, an alien describes - a very difficult task by saying "We juggle priceless eggs in - variable gravity." That is a very hackish use of language. See + a very difficult task by saying We juggle priceless eggs in + variable gravity. That is a very hackish use of language. See also {hack mode}. :jump off into never-never land: [from J. M. Barrie's `Peter @@ -11077,7 +11077,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon called a {Christmas tree packet}. {RFC}-1025, `TCP and IP Bake Off' says: - 10 points for correctly being able to process a "Kamikaze" + 10 points for correctly being able to process a Kamikaze packet (AKA nastygram, christmas tree packet, lamp test segment, et al.). That is, correctly handle a segment with the maximum combination of features at once (e.g., a SYN URG PUSH @@ -11089,7 +11089,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :ken: /ken/ n. 1. [UNIX] Ken Thompson, principal inventor of UNIX. In the early days he used to hand-cut distribution tapes, - often with a note that read "Love, ken". Old-timers still use + often with a note that read Love, ken. Old-timers still use his first name (sometimes uncapitalized, because it's a login name and mail address) in third-person reference; it is widely understood (on USENET, in particular) that without a last name @@ -11130,13 +11130,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :killer micro: [popularized by Eugene Brooks] n. A microprocessor-based machine that infringes on mini, mainframe, or - supercomputer performance turf. Often heard in "No one will - survive the attack of the killer micros!", the battle cry of the + supercomputer performance turf. Often heard in No one will + survive the attack of the killer micros!, the battle cry of the downsizers. Used esp. of RISC architectures. The popularity of the phrase `attack of the killer micros' is - doubtless reinforced by the movie title "Attack Of The Killer - Tomatoes" (one of the {canonical} examples of + doubtless reinforced by the movie title Attack Of The Killer + Tomatoes (one of the {canonical} examples of so-bad-it's-wonderful among hackers). This has even more flavor now that killer micros have gone on the offensive not just individually (in workstations) but in hordes (within massively @@ -11155,11 +11155,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Thousands (*not* 1024s) of Instructions Per Second. Usage: rare. -:KISS Principle: /kis' prin'si-pl/ n. "Keep It Simple, Stupid". +:KISS Principle: /kis' prin'si-pl/ n. Keep It Simple, Stupid. A maxim often invoked when discussing design to fend off {creeping featurism} and control development complexity. Possibly related to the {marketroid} maxim on sales - presentations, "Keep It Short and Simple". + presentations, Keep It Short and Simple. :kit: [USENET; poss. fr. DEC slang for a full software distribution, as opposed to a patch or upgrade] n. A source @@ -11179,15 +11179,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :kluge: /klooj/ [from the German `klug', clever] 1. n. A Rube Goldberg (or Heath Robinson) device, whether in hardware or software. (A long-ago `Datamation' article by Jackson Granholme - said: "An ill-assorted collection of poorly matching parts, - forming a distressing whole.") 2. n. A clever programming trick + said: An ill-assorted collection of poorly matching parts, + forming a distressing whole.) 2. n. A clever programming trick intended to solve a particular nasty case in an expedient, if not clear, manner. Often used to repair bugs. Often involves {ad-hockery} and verges on being a {crock}. In fact, the - TMRC Dictionary defined `kludge' as "a crock that works". 3. n. + TMRC Dictionary defined `kludge' as a crock that works. 3. n. Something that works for the wrong reason. 4. vt. To insert a - kluge into a program. "I've kluged this routine to get around - that weird bug, but there's probably a better way." 5. [WPI] n. A + kluge into a program. I've kluged this routine to get around + that weird bug, but there's probably a better way. 5. [WPI] n. A feature that is implemented in a {rude} manner. Nowadays this term is often encountered in the variant spelling @@ -11204,7 +11204,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon However, there is reason to believe this slang use may be a decade older. Several respondents have connected it to the brand name of - a device called a "Kluge paper feeder" dating back at least to + a device called a Kluge paper feeder dating back at least to 1935, an adjunct to mechanical printing presses. The Kluge feeder was designed before small, cheap electric motors and control electronics; it relied on a fiendishly complex assortment of cams, @@ -11225,8 +11225,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the war. The variant `kludge' was apparently popularized by the - {Datamation} article mentioned above; it was titled "How - to Design a Kludge" (February 1962, pp. 30, 31). Some people + {Datamation} article mentioned above; it was titled How + to Design a Kludge (February 1962, pp. 30, 31). Some people who encountered the word first in print or on-line jumped to the reasonable but incorrect conclusion that the word should be pronounced /kluhj/ (rhyming with `sludge'). The result of this @@ -11242,8 +11242,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :kluge up: vt. To lash together a quick hack to perform a task; this is milder than {cruft together} and has some of the connotations of {hack up} (note, however, that the construction `kluge on' - corresponding to {hack on} is never used). "I've kluged up this - routine to dump the buffer contents to a safe place." + corresponding to {hack on} is never used). I've kluged up this + routine to dump the buffer contents to a safe place. :Knights of the Lambda Calculus: n. A semi-mythical organization of wizardly LISP and Scheme hackers. The name refers to a @@ -11256,7 +11256,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Knuth: /nooth/ [Donald E. Knuth's `The Art of Computer Programming'] n. Mythically, the reference that answers all questions about data structures or algorithms. A safe answer when - you do not know: "I think you can find that in Knuth." Contrast + you do not know: I think you can find that in Knuth. Contrast {literature, the}. See also {bible}. :kremvax: /krem-vaks/ [from the then large number of {USENET} @@ -11323,8 +11323,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon applicable to one or more computer programming languages. A language lawyer is distinguished by the ability to show you the five sentences scattered through a 200-plus-page manual that - together imply the answer to your question "if only you had - thought to look there". Compare {wizard}, {legal}, + together imply the answer to your question if only you had + thought to look there. Compare {wizard}, {legal}, {legalese}. :languages of choice: n. {C} and {LISP}. Nearly every @@ -11335,8 +11335,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon There is also a rapidly dwindling category of older hackers with FORTRAN, or even assembler, as their language of choice. They often prefer to be known as {Real Programmer}s, and other - hackers consider them a bit odd (see "{The Story of Mel, a - Real Programmer}" in {Appendix A}). Assembler is generally no longer + hackers consider them a bit odd (see {The Story of Mel, a + Real Programmer} in {Appendix A}). Assembler is generally no longer considered interesting or appropriate for anything but {HLL} implementation, {glue}, and a few time-critical and hardware-specific uses in systems programs. FORTRAN occupies a @@ -11364,8 +11364,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon programming language. :lase: /layz/ vt. To print a given document via a laser printer. - "OK, let's lase that sucker and see if all those graphics-macro - calls did the right things." + OK, let's lase that sucker and see if all those graphics-macro + calls did the right things. :laser chicken: n. Kung Pao Chicken, a standard Chinese dish containing chicken, peanuts, and hot red peppers in a spicy @@ -11391,7 +11391,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :laundromat: n. Syn. {disk farm}; see {washing machine}. :LDB: /l*'d*b/ [from the PDP-10 instruction set] vt. To extract - from the middle. "LDB me a slice of cake, please." This usage + from the middle. LDB me a slice of cake, please. This usage has been kept alive by Common LISP's function of the same name. Considered silly. See also {DPB}. @@ -11420,9 +11420,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :legal: adj. Loosely used to mean `in accordance with all the relevant rules', esp. in connection with some set of constraints - defined by software. "The older =+ alternate for += is no longer - legal syntax in ANSI C." "This parser processes each line of - legal input the moment it sees the trailing linefeed." Hackers + defined by software. The older =+ alternate for += is no longer + legal syntax in ANSI C. This parser processes each line of + legal input the moment it sees the trailing linefeed. Hackers often model their work as a sort of game played with the environment in which the objective is to maneuver through the thicket of `natural laws' to achieve a desired objective. Their @@ -11462,8 +11462,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :lexer: /lek'sr/ n. Common hacker shorthand for `lexical analyzer', the input-tokenizing stage in the parser for a language - (the part that breaks it into word-like pieces). "Some C lexers - get confused by the old-style compound ops like `=-'." + (the part that breaks it into word-like pieces). Some C lexers + get confused by the old-style compound ops like `=-'. :lexiphage: /lek'si-fayj`/ n. A notorious word {chomper} on ITS. See {bagbiter}. @@ -11482,10 +11482,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon 2. The opposite of {USENET}. As in {Get a life!} :Life is hard: [XEROX PARC] prov. This phrase has two possible - interpretations: (1) "While your suggestion may have some merit, I - will behave as though I hadn't heard it." (2) "While your + interpretations: (1) While your suggestion may have some merit, I + will behave as though I hadn't heard it. (2) While your suggestion has obvious merit, equally obvious circumstances prevent - it from being seriously considered." The charm of the phrase lies + it from being seriously considered. The charm of the phrase lies precisely in this subtle but important ambiguity. :light pipe: n. Fiber optic cable. Oppose {copper}. @@ -11496,25 +11496,25 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :like kicking dead whales down the beach: adj. Describes a slow, difficult, and disgusting process. First popularized by a famous quote about the difficulty of getting work done under one of IBM's - mainframe OSes. "Well, you *could* write a C compiler in - COBOL, but it would be like kicking dead whales down the beach." + mainframe OSes. Well, you *could* write a C compiler in + COBOL, but it would be like kicking dead whales down the beach. See also {fear and loathing} :like nailing jelly to a tree: adj. Used to describe a task thought to be impossible, esp. one in which the difficulty arises from poor specification or inherent slipperiness in the problem domain. - "Trying to display the `prettiest' arrangement of nodes and arcs + Trying to display the `prettiest' arrangement of nodes and arcs that diagrams a given graph is like nailing jelly to a tree, - because nobody's sure what `prettiest' means algorithmically." + because nobody's sure what `prettiest' means algorithmically. :line 666: [from Christian eschatological myth] n. The notational line of source at which a program fails for obscure reasons, implying either that *somebody* is out to get it (when you are the programmer), or that it richly deserves to be so gotten (when - you are not). "It works when I trace through it, but seems to - crash on line 666 when I run it." "What happens is that whenever + you are not). It works when I trace through it, but seems to + crash on line 666 when I run it. What happens is that whenever a large batch comes through, mmdf dies on the Line of the Beast. - Probably some twit hardcoded a buffer size." + Probably some twit hardcoded a buffer size. :line eater, the: [USENET] n. 1. A bug in some now-obsolete versions of the netnews software that used to eat up to BUFSIZ @@ -11542,8 +11542,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon theoretically a readable text or program source but employs syntax so bizarre that it looks like line noise in senses 1 or 2. Yes, there are languages this ugly. The canonical example is {TECO}; - it is often claimed that "TECO's input syntax is indistinguishable - from line noise." Other non-{WYSIWYG} editors, such as Multics + it is often claimed that TECO's input syntax is indistinguishable + from line noise. Other non-{WYSIWYG} editors, such as Multics `qed' and Unix `ed', in the hands of a real hacker, also qualify easily, as do deliberately obfuscated languages such as {INTERCAL}. @@ -11551,8 +11551,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :line starve: [MIT] 1. vi. To feed paper through a printer the wrong way by one line (most printers can't do this). On a display terminal, to move the cursor up to the previous line of the screen. - "To print `X squared', you just output `X', line starve, `2', line - feed." (The line starve causes the `2' to appear on the line + To print `X squared', you just output `X', line starve, `2', line + feed. (The line starve causes the `2' to appear on the line above the `X', and the line feed gets back to the original line.) 2. n. A character (or character sequence) that causes a terminal to perform this action. ASCII 0011010, also called SUB or control-Z, @@ -11568,8 +11568,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon files in a master directory tree of files. Link farms save space when one is maintaining several nearly identical copies of the same source tree --- for example, when the only difference is - architecture-dependent object files. "Let's freeze the source and - then rebuild the FROBOZZ-3 and FROBOZZ-4 link farms." Link farms + architecture-dependent object files. Let's freeze the source and + then rebuild the FROBOZZ-3 and FROBOZZ-4 link farms. Link farms may also be used to get around restrictions on the number of `-I' (include-file directory) arguments on older C preprocessors. However, they can also get completely out of @@ -11587,19 +11587,19 @@ The Jargon Lexicon use of `lint(1)' itself, but (judging by references on USENET) it has become a shorthand for {desk check} at some non-UNIX shops, even in languages other than C. Also as v. {delint}. - 2. n. Excess verbiage in a document, as in "this draft has too - much lint". + 2. n. Excess verbiage in a document, as in this draft has too + much lint. :lion food: [IBM] n. Middle management or HQ staff (by extension, administrative drones in general). From an old joke about two lions who, escaping from the zoo, split up to increase their chances but agreed to meet after 2 months. When they finally meet, one is skinny and the other overweight. The thin one says: - "How did you manage? I ate a human just once and they turned out + How did you manage? I ate a human just once and they turned out a small army to chase me --- guns, nets, it was terrible. Since - then I've been reduced to eating mice, insects, even grass." The - fat one replies: "Well, *I* hid near an IBM office and ate a - manager a day. And nobody even noticed!" + then I've been reduced to eating mice, insects, even grass. The + fat one replies: Well, *I* hid near an IBM office and ate a + manager a day. And nobody even noticed! :Lions Book: n. `Source Code and Commentary on UNIX level 6', by John Lions. The two parts of this book contained (1) the entire @@ -11629,8 +11629,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon All LISP functions and programs are expressions that return values; this, together with the high memory utilization of LISPs, gave rise to Alan Perlis's famous quip (itself a take on an Oscar - Wilde quote) that "LISP programmers know the value of everything - and the cost of nothing". + Wilde quote) that LISP programmers know the value of everything + and the cost of nothing. One significant application for LISP has been as a proof by example that most newer languages, such as {COBOL} and {Ada}, are full @@ -11641,14 +11641,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :literature, the: n. Computer-science journals and other publications, vaguely gestured at to answer a question that the speaker believes is {trivial}. Thus, one might answer an - annoying question by saying "It's in the literature." Oppose + annoying question by saying It's in the literature. Oppose {Knuth}, which has no connotation of triviality. :lithium lick: n. [NeXT] n. Steve Jobs. Employees who have gotten too much attention from their esteemed founder are said to have `lithium lick' when they begin to show signs of Jobsian fervor and repeat the most recent catch phrases in normal conversation --- for - example, "It just works, right out of the box!" + example, It just works, right out of the box! :little-endian: adj. Describes a computer architecture in which, within a given 16- or 32-bit word, bytes at lower addresses have @@ -11673,12 +11673,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (executable code). 3. An object, such as a {trampoline}, that is constructed on the fly by a program and intended to be executed as code. 4. Actual real-world data, as opposed to `test data'. - For example, "I think I have the record deletion module - finished." "Have you tried it out on live data?" It usually + For example, I think I have the record deletion module + finished. Have you tried it out on live data? It usually carries the connotation that live data is more fragile and must not be corrupted, else bad things will happen. So a possible alternate - response to the above claim might be: "Well, make sure it works - perfectly before we throw live data at it." The implication here + response to the above claim might be: Well, make sure it works + perfectly before we throw live data at it. The implication here is that record deletion is something pretty significant, and a haywire record-deletion module running amok on live data would cause great harm and probably require restoring from backups. @@ -11687,7 +11687,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon appears on that state's automobile license plates. 2. A slogan associated with UNIX in the romantic days when UNIX aficionados saw themselves as a tiny, beleaguered underground tilting against the - windmills of industry. The "free" referred specifically to + windmills of industry. The free referred specifically to freedom from the {fascist} design philosophies and crufty misfeatures common on commercial operating systems. Armando Stettner, one of the early UNIX developers, used to give out fake @@ -11703,8 +11703,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon virtually infinite amount of work to do and can never catch up. :liveware: /li:v'weir/ n. 1. Synonym for {wetware}. Less - common. 2. [Cambridge] Vermin. "Waiter, there's some liveware in - my salad..." + common. 2. [Cambridge] Vermin. Waiter, there's some liveware in + my salad... :lobotomy: n. 1. What a hacker subjected to formal management training is said to have undergone. At IBM and elsewhere this term @@ -11717,8 +11717,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :locals, the: pl.n. The users on one's local network (as opposed, say, to people one reaches via public Internet or UUCP connects). The marked thing about this usage is how little it has to do with - real-space distance. "I have to do some tweaking on this mail - utility before releasing it to the locals." + real-space distance. I have to do some tweaking on this mail + utility before releasing it to the locals. :locked and loaded: [from military slang for an M-16 rifle with magazine inserted and prepared for firing] adj. Said of a removable @@ -11748,8 +11748,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon north varies between physical (true) north near San Francisco and physical west near San Jose. (The best rule of thumb here is that, by definition, El Camino Real always runs logical north-and-south.) - In giving directions, one might say: "To get to Rincon Tarasco - restaurant, get onto {El Camino Bignum} going logical north." + In giving directions, one might say: To get to Rincon Tarasco + restaurant, get onto {El Camino Bignum} going logical north. Using the word `logical' helps to prevent the recipient from worrying about that the fact that the sun is setting almost directly in front of him. The concept is reinforced by North @@ -11760,8 +11760,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon surrounding Boston at a radius of 10 miles, terminating near the coastline at each end. It would be most precise to describe the two directions along this highway as `clockwise' and - `counterclockwise', but the road signs all say "north" and - "south", respectively. A hacker might describe these directions + `counterclockwise', but the road signs all say north and + south, respectively. A hacker might describe these directions as `logical north' and `logical south', to indicate that they are conventional directions not corresponding to the usual denotation for those words. (If you went logical south along the @@ -11771,7 +11771,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon south and Interstate 93 north, and is signed as such!) :loop through: vt. To process each element of a list of things. - "Hold on, I've got to loop through my paper mail." Derives from + Hold on, I've got to loop through my paper mail. Derives from the computer-language notion of an iterative loop; compare `cdr down' (under {cdr}), which is less common among C and UNIX programmers. ITS hackers used to say `IRP over' after an @@ -11791,12 +11791,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon 2. To be exceptionally unesthetic or crocky. 3. Of people, to be obnoxious or unusually stupid (as opposed to ignorant). See also {deserves to lose}. 4. n. Refers to something that is - {losing}, especially in the phrases "That's a lose!" and "What - a lose!" + {losing}, especially in the phrases That's a lose! and What + a lose! :lose lose: interj. A reply to or comment on an undesirable - situation. "I accidentally deleted all my files!" "Lose, - lose." + situation. I accidentally deleted all my files! Lose, + lose. :loser: n. An unexpectedly bad situation, program, programmer, or person. Someone who habitually loses. (Even winners can lose @@ -11811,15 +11811,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :loss: n. Something (not a person) that loses; a situation in which something is losing. Emphatic forms include `moby loss', and `total loss', `complete loss'. Common interjections are - "What a loss!" and "What a moby loss!" Note that `moby loss' + What a loss! and What a moby loss! Note that `moby loss' is OK even though **`moby loser' is not used; applied to an abstract noun, moby is simply a magnifier, whereas when applied to a person it implies substance and has positive connotations. Compare {lossage}. :lossage: /los'*j/ n. The result of a bug or malfunction. This - is a mass or collective noun. "What a loss!" and "What - lossage!" are nearly synonymous. The former is slightly more + is a mass or collective noun. What a loss! and What + lossage! are nearly synonymous. The former is slightly more particular to the speaker's present circumstances; the latter implies a continuing {lose} of which the speaker is currently a victim. Thus (for example) a temporary hardware failure is a loss, @@ -11839,9 +11839,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon tries to handle quantities smaller than its limit of magnitude. It is also a pun on `undertow' (a kind of fast, cold current that sometimes runs just offshore and can be dangerous to swimmers). - "Well, sure, photon pressure from the stadium lights alters the + Well, sure, photon pressure from the stadium lights alters the path of a thrown baseball, but that effect gets lost in the - underflow." See also {overflow bit}. + underflow. See also {overflow bit}. :lots of MIPS but no I/O: adj. Used to describe a person who is technically brilliant but can't seem to communicate with human @@ -11852,8 +11852,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :low-bandwidth: [from communication theory] adj. Used to indicate a talk that, although not {content-free}, was not terribly - informative. "That was a low-bandwidth talk, but what can you - expect for an audience of {suit}s!" Compare {zero-content}, + informative. That was a low-bandwidth talk, but what can you + expect for an audience of {suit}s! Compare {zero-content}, {bandwidth}, {math-out}. :LPT: /L-P-T/ or /lip'it/ or /lip-it'/ [MIT, via DEC] n. Line @@ -11862,8 +11862,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon `LPT:' on those systems that, like ITS, were strongly influenced by early DEC conventions. -:Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology: prov. "There is *always* - one more bug." +:Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology: prov. There is *always* + one more bug. :lunatic fringe: [IBM] n. Customers who can be relied upon to accept release 1 versions of software. @@ -11871,7 +11871,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :lurker: n. One of the `silent majority' in a electronic forum; one who posts occasionally or not at all but is known to read the group's postings regularly. This term is not pejorative and indeed - is casually used reflexively: "Oh, I'm just lurking." Often used + is casually used reflexively: Oh, I'm just lurking. Often used in `the lurkers', the hypothetical audience for the group's {flamage}-emitting regulars. @@ -11881,15 +11881,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ITS, when you first walked up to a terminal at MIT and typed Control-Z to get the computer's attention, it printed out some status information, including how many people were already using - the computer; it might print "14 users", for example. Someone + the computer; it might print 14 users, for example. Someone thought it would be a great joke to patch the system to print - "14 losers" instead. There ensued a great controversy, as some + 14 losers instead. There ensued a great controversy, as some of the users didn't particularly want to be called losers to their faces every time they used the computer. For a while several hackers struggled covertly, each changing the message behind the back of the others; any time you logged into the computer it was - even money whether it would say "users" or "losers". Finally, - someone tried the compromise "lusers", and it stuck. Later one + even money whether it would say users or losers. Finally, + someone tried the compromise lusers, and it stuck. Later one of the ITS machines supported `luser' as a request-for-help command. ITS died the death in mid-1990, except as a museum piece; the usage lives on, however, and the term `luser' is often seen @@ -11903,9 +11903,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :macdink: /mak'dink/ [from the Apple Macintosh, which is said to encourage such behavior] vt. To make many incremental and unnecessary cosmetic changes to a program or file. Often the - subject of the macdinking would be better off without them. "When + subject of the macdinking would be better off without them. When I left at 11 P.M. last night, he was still macdinking the - slides for his presentation." See also {fritterware}, + slides for his presentation. See also {fritterware}, {window shopping}. :machinable: adj. Machine-readable. Having the {softcopy} nature. @@ -11973,10 +11973,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :magic: adj. 1. As yet unexplained, or too complicated to explain; compare {automagically} and (Arthur C.) Clarke's Third Law: - "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from - magic." "TTY echoing is controlled by a large number of magic - bits." "This routine magically computes the parity of an 8-bit - byte in three instructions." 2. Characteristic of something that + Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from + magic. TTY echoing is controlled by a large number of magic + bits. This routine magically computes the parity of an 8-bit + byte in three instructions. 2. Characteristic of something that works although no one really understands why (this is especially called {black magic}). 3. [Stanford] A feature not generally publicized that allows something otherwise impossible, or a feature @@ -12032,7 +12032,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the magic smoke gets let out, so it doesn't work any more. See {smoke test}, {let the smoke out}. - USENETter Jay Maynard tells the following story: "Once, while + USENETter Jay Maynard tells the following story: Once, while hacking on a dedicated Z80 system, I was testing code by blowing EPROMs and plugging them in the system, then seeing what happened. One time, I plugged one in backwards. I only discovered that @@ -12041,7 +12041,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon glowing white-hot. Amazingly, the EPROM worked fine after I erased it, filled it full of zeros, then erased it again. For all I know, it's still in service. Of course, this is because the magic smoke - didn't get let out." Compare the original phrasing of {Murphy's + didn't get let out. Compare the original phrasing of {Murphy's Law}. :mailbomb: (also mail bomb) [USENET] 1. v. To send, or urge @@ -12117,7 +12117,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :management: n. 1. Corporate power elites distinguished primarily by their distance from actual productive work and their chronic failure to manage (see also {suit}). Spoken derisively, as in - "*Management* decided that ...". 2. Mythically, a vast + *Management* decided that .... 2. Mythically, a vast bureaucracy responsible for all the world's minor irritations. Hackers' satirical public notices are often signed `The Mgt'; this derives from the `Illuminatus' novels (see the Bibliography in @@ -12132,8 +12132,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :manged: /monjd/ [probably from the French `manger' or Italian `mangiare', to eat; perhaps influenced by English n. `mange', `mangy'] adj. Refers to anything that is mangled or damaged, - usually beyond repair. "The disk was manged after the electrical - storm." Compare {mung}. + usually beyond repair. The disk was manged after the electrical + storm. Compare {mung}. :mangle: vt. Used similarly to {mung} or {scribble}, but more violent in its connotations; something that is mangled has been @@ -12149,37 +12149,37 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :manularity: /man`yoo-la'ri-tee/ [prob. fr. techspeak `manual' + `granularity'] n. A notional measure of the manual labor required for some task, particularly one of the sort that - automation is supposed to eliminate. "Composing English on paper + automation is supposed to eliminate. Composing English on paper has much higher manularity than using a text editor, especially in - the revising stage." Hackers tend to consider manularity a symptom + the revising stage. Hackers tend to consider manularity a symptom of primitive methods; in fact, a true hacker confronted with an apparent requirement to do a computing task {by hand} will inevitably seize the opportunity to build another tool (see {toolsmith}). -:marbles: [from mainstream "lost all his/her marbles"] pl.n. The +:marbles: [from mainstream lost all his/her marbles] pl.n. The minimum needed to build your way further up some hierarchy of tools or abstractions. After a bad system crash, you need to determine if the machine has enough marbles to come up on its own, or enough marbles to allow a rebuild from backups, or if you need to rebuild - from scratch. "This compiler doesn't even have enough marbles to - compile {hello, world}." + from scratch. This compiler doesn't even have enough marbles to + compile {hello, world}. -:marginal: adj. 1. Extremely small. "A marginal increase in - {core} can decrease {GC} time drastically." In everyday +:marginal: adj. 1. Extremely small. A marginal increase in + {core} can decrease {GC} time drastically. In everyday terms, this means that it is a lot easier to clean off your desk if you have a spare place to put some of the junk while you sort - through it. 2. Of extremely small merit. "This proposed new - feature seems rather marginal to me." 3. Of extremely small - probability of {win}ning. "The power supply was rather marginal - anyway; no wonder it fried." + through it. 2. Of extremely small merit. This proposed new + feature seems rather marginal to me. 3. Of extremely small + probability of {win}ning. The power supply was rather marginal + anyway; no wonder it fried. :Marginal Hacks: n. Margaret Jacks Hall, a building into which the Stanford AI Lab was moved near the beginning of the 1980s (from the {D. C. Power Lab}). -:marginally: adv. Slightly. "The ravs here are only marginally - better than at Small Eating Place." See {epsilon}. +:marginally: adv. Slightly. The ravs here are only marginally + better than at Small Eating Place. See {epsilon}. :marketroid: /mar'k*-troyd/ alt. `marketing slime', `marketeer', `mar-ket-ing droid', `marketdroid'. n. A member @@ -12229,14 +12229,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :martian: n. A packet sent on a TCP/IP network with a source address of the test loopback interface [127.0.0.1]. This means that it will come back at you labeled with a source address that - is clearly not of this earth. "The domain server is getting lots - of packets from Mars. Does that gateway have a martian filter?" + is clearly not of this earth. The domain server is getting lots + of packets from Mars. Does that gateway have a martian filter? :massage: vt. Vague term used to describe `smooth' transformations of a data set into a different form, esp. transformations that do not lose information. Connotes less pain than {munch} or {crunch}. - "He wrote a program that massages X bitmap files into GIF - format." Compare {slurp}. + He wrote a program that massages X bitmap files into GIF + format. Compare {slurp}. :math-out: [poss. from `white-out' (the blizzard variety)] n. A paper or presentation so encrusted with mathematical or other @@ -12257,11 +12257,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :Mbogo, Dr. Fred: /*m-boh'goh, dok'tr fred/ [Stanford] n. The archetypal man you don't want to see about a problem, esp. an - incompetent professional; a shyster. "Do you know a good eye - doctor?" "Sure, try Mbogo Eye Care and Professional Dry - Cleaning." The name comes from synergy between {bogus} and the + incompetent professional; a shyster. Do you know a good eye + doctor? Sure, try Mbogo Eye Care and Professional Dry + Cleaning. The name comes from synergy between {bogus} and the original Dr. Mbogo, a witch doctor who was Gomez Addams' physician - on the old "Addams Family" TV show. Compare {Bloggs Family, + on the old Addams Family TV show. Compare {Bloggs Family, the}, see also {fred}. :meatware: n. Synonym for {wetware}. Less common. @@ -12269,7 +12269,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :meeces: /mees'*z/ [TMRC] n. Occasional furry visitors who are not {urchin}s. [That is, mice. This may no longer be in live use; it clearly derives from the refrain of the early-1960s cartoon - character Mr. Jinx: "I hate meeces to *pieces*!" --- ESR] + character Mr. Jinx: I hate meeces to *pieces*! --- ESR] :meg: /meg/ n. See {{quantifiers}}. @@ -12332,8 +12332,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon logic that causes it to fail to reclaim discarded memory, leading to eventual collapse due to memory exhaustion. Also (esp. at CMU) called {core leak}. These problems were severe on older - machines with small, fixed-size address spaces, and special "leak - detection" tools were commonly written to root them out. With the + machines with small, fixed-size address spaces, and special leak + detection tools were commonly written to root them out. With the advent of virtual memory, it is unfortunately easier to be sloppy about wasting a bit of memory (although when you run out of memory on a VM machine, it means you've got a *real* leak!). See @@ -12358,7 +12358,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {for the rest of us}. :mess-dos: /mes-dos/ n. Derisory term for MS-DOS. Often followed - by the ritual banishing "Just say No!" See {{MS-DOS}}. Most + by the ritual banishing Just say No! See {{MS-DOS}}. Most hackers (even many MS-DOS hackers) loathe MS-DOS for its single-tasking nature, its limits on application size, its nasty primitive interface, and its ties to IBMness (see {fear and @@ -12443,33 +12443,33 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {content-free}). More broadly applied to talks --- even when the topic is not a programming language --- in which the subject matter is gone into in unnecessary and meticulous detail at the - sacrifice of any conceptual content. "Well, it was a typical MFTL - talk". 2. n. Describes a language about which the developers are + sacrifice of any conceptual content. Well, it was a typical MFTL + talk. 2. n. Describes a language about which the developers are passionate (often to the point of prosyletic zeal) but no one else cares about. Applied to the language by those outside the - originating group. "He cornered me about type resolution in his - MFTL." + originating group. He cornered me about type resolution in his + MFTL. The first great goal in the mind of the designer of an MFTL is usually to write a compiler for it, then bootstrap the design away from contamination by lesser languages by writing a compiler for it in itself. Thus, the standard put-down question at an MFTL talk is - "Has it been used for anything besides its own compiler?". On + Has it been used for anything besides its own compiler?. On the other hand, a language that *cannot* be used to write its own compiler is beneath contempt. See {break-even point}. (On a related note, Dennis Ritchie once proposed a test of the generality and utility of a language and the operating system under - which it is compiled: "Is the output of a FORTRAN program compiled - under the language acceptable as input to the FORTRAN compiler?" + which it is compiled: Is the output of a FORTRAN program compiled + under the language acceptable as input to the FORTRAN compiler? In other words, can you write programs thaat write programs? (See {toolsmith}.) Alarming numbers of (language, OS) pairs fail this test, particularly when the language is FORTRAN; Ritchie is quick to point out that {UNIX} (even using FORTRAN) passes it handily. That the test could ever be failed is only surprising to those who have had the good fortune to have worked only under - modern systems which lack OS-supported and -imposed "file - types".) + modern systems which lack OS-supported and -imposed file + types.) :mickey: n. The resolution unit of mouse movement. It has been suggested that the `disney' will become a benchmark unit for @@ -12477,8 +12477,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :mickey mouse program: n. North American equivalent of a {noddy} (that is, trivial) program. Doesn't necessarily have the - belittling connotations of mainstream slang "Oh, that's just - mickey mouse stuff!"; sometimes trivial programs can be very + belittling connotations of mainstream slang Oh, that's just + mickey mouse stuff!; sometimes trivial programs can be very useful. :micro-: pref. 1. Very small; this is the root of its use as a @@ -12578,8 +12578,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {marketroid}s. The singular is sometimes `1 MIP' even though this is clearly etymologically wrong. See also {KIPS} and {GIPS}. 2. Computers, especially large computers, considered - abstractly as sources of {computron}s. "This is just a - workstation; the heavy MIPS are hidden in the basement." 3. The + abstractly as sources of {computron}s. This is just a + workstation; the heavy MIPS are hidden in the basement. 3. The corporate name of a particular RISC-chip company; among other things, they designed the processor chips used in DEC's 3100 workstation series. 4. Acronym for `Meaningless Information per @@ -12606,10 +12606,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon because the designers/implementors mistake their personal tastes for laws of nature. Often a former feature becomes a misfeature because a trade-off was made whose parameters subsequently change - (possibly only in the judgment of the implementors). "Well, yeah, + (possibly only in the judgment of the implementors). Well, yeah, it is kind of a misfeature that file names are limited to six characters, but the original implementors wanted to save directory - space and we're stuck with it for now." + space and we're stuck with it for now. :Missed'em-five: n. Pejorative hackerism for AT&T System V UNIX, generally used by {BSD} partisans in a bigoted mood. (The @@ -12632,15 +12632,15 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :moby: /moh'bee/ [MIT: seems to have been in use among model railroad fans years ago. Derived from Melville's `Moby Dick' (some say from `Moby Pickle').] 1. adj. Large, immense, complex, - impressive. "A Saturn V rocket is a truly moby frob." "Some - MIT undergrads pulled off a moby hack at the Harvard-Yale game." - (See "{The Meaning of `Hack'}"). 2. n. obs. The + impressive. A Saturn V rocket is a truly moby frob. Some + MIT undergrads pulled off a moby hack at the Harvard-Yale game. + (See {The Meaning of `Hack'}). 2. n. obs. The maximum address space of a machine (see below). For a 680[234]0 or VAX or most modern 32-bit architectures, it is 4,294,967,296 8-bit bytes (4 gigabytes). 3. A title of address (never of third-person reference), usually used to show admiration, respect, and/or - friendliness to a competent hacker. "Greetings, moby Dave. How's - that address-book thing for the Mac going?" 4. adj. In + friendliness to a competent hacker. Greetings, moby Dave. How's + that address-book thing for the Mac going? 4. adj. In backgammon, doubles on the dice, as in `moby sixes', `moby ones', etc. Compare this with {bignum} (sense 3): double sixes are both bignums and moby sixes, but moby ones are not bignums (the @@ -12648,7 +12648,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon emphatic forms: `Moby foo', `moby win', `moby loss'. `Foby moo': a spoonerism due to Richard Greenblatt. 5. The largest available unit of something which is available in discrete - increments. Thus, ordering a "moby Coke" at your favorite + increments. Thus, ordering a moby Coke at your favorite fast-food joint is not just a request for a large Coke, it's an explicit request for the largest size they sell. @@ -12661,7 +12661,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon more generally useful, because when a computer had virtual memory mapping, it might actually have more physical memory attached to it than any one program could access directly. One could then say - "This computer has 6 mobies" meaning that the ratio of physical + This computer has 6 mobies meaning that the ratio of physical memory to address space is 6, without having to say specifically how much memory there actually is. That in turn implied that the computer could timeshare six `full-sized' programs without having @@ -12696,7 +12696,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon describing the state. Use of the word `mode' rather than `state' implies that the state is extended over time, and probably also that some activity characteristic of that state is - being carried out. "No time to hack; I'm in thesis mode." In its + being carried out. No time to hack; I'm in thesis mode. In its jargon sense, `mode' is most often attributed to people, though it is sometimes applied to programs and inanimate objects. In particular, see {hack mode}, {day mode}, {night mode}, @@ -12705,19 +12705,19 @@ The Jargon Lexicon One also often hears the verbs `enable' and `disable' used in connection with jargon modes. Thus, for example, a sillier way of - saying "I'm going to crash" is "I'm going to enable crash mode - now". One might also hear a request to "disable flame mode, - please". + saying I'm going to crash is I'm going to enable crash mode + now. One might also hear a request to disable flame mode, + please. In a usage much closer to techspeak, a mode is a special state that certain user interfaces must pass into in order to perform certain functions. For example, in order to insert characters into a - document in the UNIX editor `vi', one must type the "i" key, - which invokes the "Insert" command. The effect of this command - is to put vi into "insert mode", in which typing the "i" key - has a quite different effect (to wit, it inserts an "i" into the - document). One must then hit another special key, "ESC", in - order to leave "insert mode". Nowadays, moded interfaces are + document in the UNIX editor `vi', one must type the i key, + which invokes the Insert command. The effect of this command + is to put vi into insert mode, in which typing the i key + has a quite different effect (to wit, it inserts an i into the + document). One must then hit another special key, ESC, in + order to leave insert mode. Nowadays, moded interfaces are generally considered {losing} but survive in quite a few widely used tools built in less enlightened times. @@ -12732,9 +12732,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :modulo: /mo'dyu-loh/ prep. Except for. An overgeneralization of mathematical terminology; one can consider saying that - 4 = 22 except for the 9s (4 = 22 mod 9). "Well, - LISP seems to work okay now, modulo that {GC} bug." "I feel - fine today modulo a slight headache." + 4 = 22 except for the 9s (4 = 22 mod 9). Well, + LISP seems to work okay now, modulo that {GC} bug. I feel + fine today modulo a slight headache. :molly-guard: /mol'ee-gard/ [University of Illinois] n. A shield to prevent tripping of some {Big Red Switch} by clumsy or @@ -12784,8 +12784,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon choose `Page Setup...' with a LaserWriter selected and click on the `Options' button. 2. adj. Used to flag software that's a hack, something untested and on the edge. On one Apple CD-ROM, certain - folders such as "Tools & Apps (Moof!)" and "Development - Platforms (Moof!)", are so marked to indicate that they contain + folders such as Tools & Apps (Moof!) and Development + Platforms (Moof!), are so marked to indicate that they contain software not fully tested or sanctioned by the powers that be. When you open these folders you cross the boundary into hackerland. @@ -12871,21 +12871,21 @@ The Jargon Lexicon system for the 360). The name further annoys those who know what the term {operating system} does (or ought to) connote; DOS is more properly a set of relatively simple interrupt services. Some - people like to pronounce DOS like "dose", as in "I don't work on - dose, man!", or to compare it to a dose of brain-damaging drugs + people like to pronounce DOS like dose, as in I don't work on + dose, man!, or to compare it to a dose of brain-damaging drugs (a slogan button in wide circulation among hackers exhorts: - "MS-DOS: Just say No!"). See {mess-dos}, {ill-behaved}. + MS-DOS: Just say No!). See {mess-dos}, {ill-behaved}. :mu: /moo/ The correct answer to the classic trick question - "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?". Assuming that you - have no wife or you have never beaten your wife, the answer "yes" + Have you stopped beating your wife yet?. Assuming that you + have no wife or you have never beaten your wife, the answer yes is wrong because it implies that you used to beat your wife and - then stopped, but "no" is worse because it suggests that you have + then stopped, but no is worse because it suggests that you have one and are still beating her. According to various Discordians and Douglas Hofstadter (see the Bibliography in {Appendix C}), - the correct answer is usually "mu", a Japanese word alleged to - mean "Your question cannot be answered because it depends on - incorrect assumptions". Hackers tend to be sensitive to logical + the correct answer is usually mu, a Japanese word alleged to + mean Your question cannot be answered because it depends on + incorrect assumptions. Hackers tend to be sensitive to logical inadequacies in language, and many have adopted this suggestion with enthusiasm. The word `mu' is actually from Chinese, meaning `nothing'; it is used in mainstream Japanese in that sense, but @@ -12893,11 +12893,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon use. It almost certainly derives from overgeneralization of the answer in the following well-known Rinzei Zen teaching riddle: - A monk asked Joshu, "Does a dog have the Buddha nature?" - Joshu retorted, "Mu!" + A monk asked Joshu, Does a dog have the Buddha nature? + Joshu retorted, Mu! See also {has the X nature}, {AI Koans}, and Douglas - Hofstadter's `G"odel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid' + Hofstadter's `Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid' (pointer in the Bibliography in appendix C). :MUD: /muhd/ [acronym, Multi-User Dungeon; alt. Multi-User @@ -12917,8 +12917,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon BartleMUDs. There is a widespread myth (repeated, unfortunately, by earlier versions of this lexicon) that the name MUD was trademarked to the commercial MUD run by Bartle on British - Telecom (the motto: "You haven't *lived* 'til you've - *died* on MUD!"); however, this is false --- Richard Bartle + Telecom (the motto: You haven't *lived* 'til you've + *died* on MUD!); however, this is false --- Richard Bartle explicitly placed `MUD' in PD in 1985. BT was upset at this, as they had already printed trademark claims on some maps and posters, which were released and created the myth. @@ -12953,8 +12953,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {mudhead}, {talk mode}. :muddie: n. Syn. {mudhead}. More common in Great Britain, possibly - because system administrators there like to mutter "bloody - muddies" when annoyed at the species. + because system administrators there like to mutter bloody + muddies when annoyed at the species. :mudhead: n. Commonly used to refer to a {MUD} player who eats, sleeps, and breathes MUD. Mudheads have been known to fail their @@ -12972,8 +12972,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Competent user of {{Multics}}. Perhaps oddly, no one has ever promoted the analogous `Unician'. -:Multics:: /muhl'tiks/ n. [from "MULTiplexed Information and - Computing Service"] An early (late 1960s) timesharing operating +:Multics:: /muhl'tiks/ n. [from MULTiplexed Information and + Computing Service] An early (late 1960s) timesharing operating system co-designed by a consortium including MIT, GE, and Bell Laboratories. Very innovative for its time --- among other things, it introduced the idea of treating all devices uniformly as special @@ -12996,30 +12996,30 @@ The Jargon Lexicon time), is used similarly. :mumblage: /muhm'bl*j/ n. The topic of one's mumbling (see - {mumble}). "All that mumblage" is used like "all that - stuff" when it is not quite clear how the subject of discussion - works, or like "all that crap" when `mumble' is being used as + {mumble}). All that mumblage is used like all that + stuff when it is not quite clear how the subject of discussion + works, or like all that crap when `mumble' is being used as an implicit replacement for pejoratives. :mumble: interj. 1. Said when the correct response is too complicated to enunciate, or the speaker has not thought it out. Often prefaces a longer answer, or indicates a general reluctance - to get into a long discussion. "Don't you think that we could + to get into a long discussion. Don't you think that we could improve LISP performance by using a hybrid reference-count transaction garbage collector, if the cache is big enough and there - are some extra cache bits for the microcode to use?" "Well, - mumble ... I'll have to think about it." 2. Sometimes used as - an expression of disagreement. "I think we should buy a - {VAX}." "Mumble!" Common variant: `mumble frotz' (see + are some extra cache bits for the microcode to use? Well, + mumble ... I'll have to think about it. 2. Sometimes used as + an expression of disagreement. I think we should buy a + {VAX}. Mumble! Common variant: `mumble frotz' (see {frotz}; interestingly, one does not say `mumble frobnitz' even though `frotz' is short for `frobnitz'). 3. Yet another {metasyntactic variable}, like {foo}. 4. When used as a question - ("Mumble?") means "I didn't understand you". 5. Sometimes used + (Mumble?) means I didn't understand you. 5. Sometimes used in `public' contexts on-line as a placefiller for things one is barred from giving details about. For example, a poster with - pre-released hardware in his machine might say "Yup, my machine + pre-released hardware in his machine might say Yup, my machine now has an extra 16M of memory, thanks to the card I'm testing for - Mumbleco." 6. A conversational wild card used to designate + Mumbleco. 6. A conversational wild card used to designate something one doesn't want to bother spelling out, but which can be {glark}ed from context. Compare {blurgle}. 7. [XEROX PARC] A colloquialism used to suggest that further discussion would be @@ -13060,8 +13060,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :mundane: [from SF fandom] n. 1. A person who is not in science fiction fandom. 2. A person who is not in the computer industry. - In this sense, most often an adjectival modifier as in "in my - mundane life...." See also {Real World}. + In this sense, most often an adjectival modifier as in in my + mundane life.... See also {Real World}. :mung: /muhng/ [in 1960 at MIT, `Mash Until No Good'; sometime after that the derivation from the {{recursive acronym}} `Mung @@ -13091,8 +13091,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon or possibly vice-versa. :Murphy's Law: prov. The correct, *original* Murphy's Law - reads: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of - those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it." + reads: If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of + those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it. This is a principle of defensive design, cited here because it is usually given in mutant forms less descriptive of the challenges of design for lusers. For example, you don't make a two-pin plug @@ -13113,8 +13113,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Within months `Murphy's Law' had spread to various technical cultures connected to aerospace engineering. Before too many years had gone by variants had passed into the popular imagination, - changing as they went. Most of these are variants on "Anything - that can go wrong, will"; this is sometimes referred to as + changing as they went. Most of these are variants on Anything + that can go wrong, will; this is sometimes referred to as {Finagle's Law}. The memetic drift apparent in these mutants clearly demonstrates Murphy's Law acting on itself! @@ -13144,20 +13144,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon ===== :N: /N/ quant. 1. A large and indeterminate number of objects: - "There were N bugs in that crock!" Also used in its - original sense of a variable name: "This crock has N bugs, - as N goes to infinity." (The true number of bugs is always + There were N bugs in that crock! Also used in its + original sense of a variable name: This crock has N bugs, + as N goes to infinity. (The true number of bugs is always at least N + 1.) 2. A variable whose value is inherited from the current context. For example, when a meal is being ordered at a restaurant, N may be understood to mean however - many people there are at the table. From the remark "We'd like to + many people there are at the table. From the remark We'd like to order N wonton soups and a family dinner - for N - 1" you can deduce that one person at the table + for N - 1 you can deduce that one person at the table wants to eat only soup, even though you don't know how many people there are (see {great-wall}). 3. `Nth': adj. The - ordinal counterpart of N, senses 1 and 2. "Now for the - Nth and last time..." In the specific context - "Nth-year grad student", N is generally assumed to + ordinal counterpart of N, senses 1 and 2. Now for the + Nth and last time... In the specific context + Nth-year grad student, N is generally assumed to be at least 4, and is usually 5 or more (see {tenured graduate student}). See also {{random numbers}}, {two-to-the-N}. @@ -13166,7 +13166,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon that it conforms better to some format. For instance, string printing routines on 8-bit processors often take the string text from the instruction stream, thus a print call looks like `jsr - print:"Hello world"'. The print routine has to `nadger' the + print:Hello world'. The print routine has to `nadger' the return instruction pointer so that the processor doesn't try to execute the text as instructions. @@ -13198,18 +13198,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of stupidity. :NAK: /nak/ [from the ASCII mnemonic for 0010101] interj. - 1. On-line joke answer to {ACK}?: "I'm not here." - 2. On-line answer to a request for chat: "I'm not available." + 1. On-line joke answer to {ACK}?: I'm not here. + 2. On-line answer to a request for chat: I'm not available. 3. Used to politely interrupt someone to tell them you don't understand their point or that they have suddenly stopped making - sense. See {ACK}, sense 3. "And then, after we recode the - project in COBOL...." "Nak, Nak, Nak! I thought I heard you - say COBOL!" + sense. See {ACK}, sense 3. And then, after we recode the + project in COBOL.... Nak, Nak, Nak! I thought I heard you + say COBOL! :nano: /nan'oh/ [CMU: from `nanosecond'] n. A brief period of - time. "Be with you in a nano" means you really will be free - shortly, i.e., implies what mainstream people mean by "in a - jiffy" (whereas the hackish use of `jiffy' is quite different --- + time. Be with you in a nano means you really will be free + shortly, i.e., implies what mainstream people mean by in a + jiffy (whereas the hackish use of `jiffy' is quite different --- see {jiffy}). :nano-: [SI: the next quantifier below {micro-}; meaning * @@ -13218,7 +13218,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (coined by hacker K. Eric Drexler) by analogy with `microtechnology'; and a few machine architectures have a `nanocode' level below `microcode'. Tom Duff at Bell Labs has - also pointed out that "Pi seconds is a nanocentury". + also pointed out that Pi seconds is a nanocentury. See also {{quantifiers}}, {pico-}, {nanoacre}, {nanobot}, {nanocomputer}, {nanofortnight}. @@ -13258,12 +13258,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :nasal demons: n. Recognized shorthand on the USENET group comp.std.c for any unexpected behavior of a C compiler on encountering an undefined construct. During a discussion on that - group in early 1992, a regular remarked "When the compiler + group in early 1992, a regular remarked When the compiler encounters [a given undefined construct] it is legal for it to make - demons fly out of your nose" (the implication is that it may + demons fly out of your nose (the implication is that it may choose any arbitrarily bizarre way to interpret the code without violating the ANSI C standard). Someone else followed up with a - reference to "nasal demons", which quickly became established. + reference to nasal demons, which quickly became established. :nastygram: /nas'tee-gram/ n. 1. A protocol packet or item of email (the latter is also called a {letterbomb}) that takes @@ -13272,13 +13272,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {net.god}, pursuant to a violation of {netiquette} or a complaint about failure to correct some mail- or news-transmission problem. Compare {shitogram}. 3. A status report from an - unhappy, and probably picky, customer. "What'd Corporate say in - today's nastygram?" 4. [deprecated] An error reply by mail from a + unhappy, and probably picky, customer. What'd Corporate say in + today's nastygram? 4. [deprecated] An error reply by mail from a {daemon}; in particular, a {bounce message}. :Nathan Hale: n. An asterisk (see also {splat}, {{ASCII}}). Oh, - you want an etymology? Notionally, from "I regret that I have only - one asterisk for my country!", a misquote of the famous remark + you want an etymology? Notionally, from I regret that I have only + one asterisk for my country!, a misquote of the famous remark uttered by Nathan Hale just before he was hanged. Hale was a (failed) spy for the rebels in the American War of Independence. @@ -13287,7 +13287,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :neat hack: n. 1. A clever technique. 2. A brilliant practical joke, where neatness is correlated with cleverness, harmlessness, and surprise value. Example: the Caltech Rose Bowl card display - switch (see "{The Meaning of `Hack'}", appendix A). See + switch (see {The Meaning of `Hack'}, appendix A). See also {hack}. :neats vs. scruffies: n. The label used to refer to one of the @@ -13311,7 +13311,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon specifically to the long conversations about computers that tend to develop in the corners at most SF-convention parties (the term `neepery' is also in wide use). Fandom has a related proverb to - the effect that "Hacking is a conversational black hole!". + the effect that Hacking is a conversational black hole!. :neophilia: /nee`oh-fil'-ee-*/ n. The trait of being excited and pleased by novelty. Common trait of most hackers, SF fans, and @@ -13365,7 +13365,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :netdead: [IRC] n. The state of someone who signs off {IRC}, perhaps during a {netburp}, and doesn't sign back on until - later. In the interim, he is "dead to the net". + later. In the interim, he is dead to the net. :nethack: /net'hak/ [UNIX] n. A dungeon game similar to {rogue} but more elaborate, distributed in C source over @@ -13378,8 +13378,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon current contact address (as of mid-1993) is nethack-bugs@linc.cis.upenn.edu. -:netiquette: /net'ee-ket/ or /net'i-ket/ [portmanteau from "network - etiquette"] n. The conventions of politeness recognized on {USENET}, +:netiquette: /net'ee-ket/ or /net'i-ket/ [portmanteau from network + etiquette] n. The conventions of politeness recognized on {USENET}, such as avoidance of cross-posting to inappropriate groups or refraining from commercial pluggery outside the biz groups. @@ -13387,12 +13387,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the {IRC} network or on a {MUD} become severe enough that servers briefly lose and then reestablish contact, causing messages to be delivered in bursts, often with delays of up to a minute. - (Note that this term has nothing to do with mainstream "jet lag", + (Note that this term has nothing to do with mainstream jet lag, a condition which hackers tend not to be much bothered by.) :netnews: /net'n[y]ooz/ n. 1. The software that makes {USENET} - run. 2. The content of USENET. "I read netnews right after my - mail most mornings." + run. 2. The content of USENET. I read netnews right after my + mail most mornings. :netrock: /net'rok/ [IBM] n. A {flame}; used esp. on VNET, IBM's internal corporate network. @@ -13401,8 +13401,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :netter: n. 1. Loosely, anyone with a {network address}. 2. More specifically, a {USENET} regular. Most often found in the - plural. "If you post *that* in a technical group, you're - going to be flamed by angry netters for the rest of time!" + plural. If you post *that* in a technical group, you're + going to be flamed by angry netters for the rest of time! :network address: n. (also `net address') As used by hackers, means an address on `the' network (see {network, the}; this is @@ -13438,19 +13438,19 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (bang-path) addresses. See {bang path}, {{Internet address}}, {network address}. 2. A fictional conspiracy of libertarian hacker-subversives and anti-authoritarian monkeywrenchers described - in Robert Anton Wilson's novel `Schr"odinger's Cat', to which + in Robert Anton Wilson's novel `Schrodinger's Cat', to which many hackers have subsequently decided they belong (this is an example of {ha ha only serious}). - In sense 1, `network' is often abbreviated to `net'. "Are - you on the net?" is a frequent question when hackers first meet - face to face, and "See you on the net!" is a frequent goodbye. + In sense 1, `network' is often abbreviated to `net'. Are + you on the net? is a frequent question when hackers first meet + face to face, and See you on the net! is a frequent goodbye. :New Jersey: [primarily Stanford/Silicon Valley] adj. Brain-dam-aged or of poor design. This refers to the allegedly wretched quality of such software as C, C++, and UNIX (which originated at Bell Labs - in Murray Hill, New Jersey). "This compiler bites the bag, but - what can you expect from a compiler designed in New Jersey?" + in Murray Hill, New Jersey). This compiler bites the bag, but + what can you expect from a compiler designed in New Jersey? Compare {Berkeley Quality Software}. See also {UNIX conspiracy}. @@ -13567,13 +13567,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon between early hackerdom and the ham radio world was strong enough that this may have been an influence. -:Ninety-Ninety Rule: n. "The first 90% of the code accounts +:Ninety-Ninety Rule: n. The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of - the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time." + the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time. Attributed to Tom Cargill of Bell Labs, and popularized by Jon Bentley's September 1985 `Bumper-Sticker Computer Science' column in `Communications of the ACM'. It was there called - the "Rule of Credibility", a name which seems not to have stuck. + the Rule of Credibility, a name which seems not to have stuck. :NMI: /N-M-I/ n. Non-Maskable Interrupt. An IRQ 7 on the PDP-11 or 680[01234]0; the NMI line on an 80[1234]86. In contrast with a @@ -13585,12 +13585,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon assembler-level programming as filler for data or patch areas, or to overwrite code to be removed in binaries). See also {JFCL}. 2. A person who contributes nothing to a project, or has nothing - going on upstairs, or both. As in "He's a no-op." 3. Any + going on upstairs, or both. As in He's a no-op. 3. Any operation or sequence of operations with no effect, such as circling the block without finding a parking space, or putting money into a vending machine and having it fall immediately into the coin-return box, or asking someone for help and being told to - go away. "Oh, well, that was a no-op." Hot-and-sour soup (see + go away. Oh, well, that was a no-op. Hot-and-sour soup (see {great-wall}) that is insufficiently either is `no-op soup'; so is wonton soup if everybody else is having hot-and-sour. @@ -13600,12 +13600,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon archetypal noddy program is {hello, world}. Noddy code may be used to demonstrate a feature or bug of a compiler. May be used of real hardware or software to imply that it isn't worth using. - "This editor's a bit noddy." 2. A program that is more or less + This editor's a bit noddy. 2. A program that is more or less instant to produce. In this use, the term does not necessarily connote uselessness, but describes a {hack} sufficiently trivial that it can be written and debugged while carrying on (and during - the space of) a normal conversation. "I'll just throw together a - noddy {awk} script to dump all the first fields." In North + the space of) a normal conversation. I'll just throw together a + noddy {awk} script to dump all the first fields. In North America this might be called a {mickey mouse program}. See {toy program}. @@ -13645,14 +13645,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon inputs, or may be triggered when a more mundane bug sends the computation far off from its expected course. 2. When describing the behavior of a person, suggests a tantrum or a {flame}. - "When you talk to Bob, don't mention the drug problem or he'll go - nonlinear for hours." In this context, `go nonlinear' connotes + When you talk to Bob, don't mention the drug problem or he'll go + nonlinear for hours. In this context, `go nonlinear' connotes `blow up out of proportion' (proportion connotes linearity). :nontrivial: adj. Requiring real thought or significant computing power. Often used as an understated way of saying that a problem is quite difficult or impractical, or even entirely unsolvable - ("Proving P=NP is nontrivial"). The preferred emphatic form is + (Proving P=NP is nontrivial). The preferred emphatic form is `decidedly nontrivial'. See {trivial}, {uninteresting}, {interesting}. @@ -13660,8 +13660,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon robust; for internal use only. Said of a program or device. Often connotes that the thing will be made more solid {Real Soon Now}. This term comes from the ensemble name of the original cast - of "Saturday Night Live", the "Not Ready for Prime Time - Players". It has extra flavor for hackers because of the special + of Saturday Night Live, the Not Ready for Prime Time + Players. It has extra flavor for hackers because of the special (though now semi-obsolescent) meaning of {prime time}. :notwork: /not'werk/ n. A network, when it is acting {flaky} or is @@ -13674,8 +13674,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon describing a level or quality of difficulty; the connotation is often `more so than it should be' (NP-complete problems all seem to be very hard, but so far no one has found a good a priori - reason that they should be.) "Coding a BitBlt implementation to - perform correctly in every case is NP-annoying." This is + reason that they should be.) Coding a BitBlt implementation to + perform correctly in every case is NP-annoying. This is generalized from the computer-science terms `NP-hard' and `NP-complete'. NP is the set of Nondeterministic-Polynomial algorithms, those that can be completed by a nondeterministic @@ -13687,7 +13687,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon not the NP-ness, that puts any problem it describes in the `hard' category. -:nroff:: /en'rof/ [UNIX, from "new roff" (see {{troff}})] n. A +:nroff:: /en'rof/ [UNIX, from new roff (see {{troff}})] n. A companion program to the UNIX typesetter {{troff}}, accepting identical input but preparing output for terminals and line printers. @@ -13722,22 +13722,22 @@ The Jargon Lexicon gangs of the world to get on with their business. :nude: adj. Said of machines delivered without an operating system - (compare {bare metal}). "We ordered 50 systems, but they all + (compare {bare metal}). We ordered 50 systems, but they all arrived nude, so we had to spend a an extra weekend with the - install-tapes." This usage is a recent innovation reflecting the + install-tapes. This usage is a recent innovation reflecting the fact that most PC clones are now delivered with DOS or Microsoft Windows pre-installed at the factory. Other kinds of hardware are still normally delivered without OS, so this term is particular to PC support groups. :nuke: /n[y]ook/ vt. 1. To intentionally delete the entire - contents of a given directory or storage volume. "On UNIX, - `rm -r /usr' will nuke everything in the usr filesystem." + contents of a given directory or storage volume. On UNIX, + `rm -r /usr' will nuke everything in the usr filesystem. Never used for accidental deletion. Oppose {blow away}. 2. Syn. for {dike}, applied to smaller things such as files, features, or code sections. Often used to express a final verdict. - "What do you want me to do with that 80-meg {wallpaper} file?" - "Nuke it." 3. Used of processes as well as files; nuke is a + What do you want me to do with that 80-meg {wallpaper} file? + Nuke it. 3. Used of processes as well as files; nuke is a frequent verbal alias for `kill -9' on UNIX. 4. On IBM PCs, a bug that results in {fandango on core} can trash the operating system, including the FAT (the in-core copy of the disk block @@ -13810,7 +13810,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon * HELLO WORLD program * by Jack Applin and Robert Heckendorn, 1985 */ - main(v,c)char**c;{for(v[c++]="Hello, world!\n)"; + main(v,c)char**c;{for(v[c++]=Hello, world!\n); (!!c)[*c]&&(v--||--c&&execlp(*c,*c,c[!!c]+!!c,!c)); **c=!c)write(!!*c,*c,!!**c);} @@ -13823,7 +13823,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon #define _ -F<00||--F-OO--; int F=00,OO=00; - main(){F_OO();printf("%1.3f\n",4.*-F/OO/OO);}F_OO() + main(){F_OO();printf(%1.3f\n,4.*-F/OO/OO);}F_OO() { _-_-_-_ _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ @@ -13848,12 +13848,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :obi-wan error: /oh'bee-won` er'*r/ [RPI, from `off-by-one' and - the Obi-Wan Kenobi character in "Star Wars"] n. A loop of + the Obi-Wan Kenobi character in Star Wars] n. A loop of some sort in which the index is off by 1. Common when the index should have started from 0 but instead started from 1. A kind of {off-by-one error}. See also {zeroth}. -:Objectionable-C: n. Hackish take on "Objective-C", the name of +:Objectionable-C: n. Hackish take on Objective-C, the name of an object-oriented dialect of C in competition with the better-known C++ (it is used to write native applications on the NeXT machine). Objectionable-C uses a Smalltalk-like syntax, but @@ -13862,14 +13862,14 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Thing} without actually doing so. :obscure: adj. Used in an exaggeration of its normal meaning, to - imply total incomprehensibility. "The reason for that last crash - is obscure." "The `find(1)' command's syntax is obscure!" + imply total incomprehensibility. The reason for that last crash + is obscure. The `find(1)' command's syntax is obscure! The phrase `moderately obscure' implies that it could be figured out but probably isn't worth the trouble. The construction `obscure in the extreme' is the preferred emphatic form. -:octal forty: /ok'tl for'tee/ n. Hackish way of saying "I'm - drawing a blank." Octal 40 is the {{ASCII}} space character, +:octal forty: /ok'tl for'tee/ n. Hackish way of saying I'm + drawing a blank. Octal 40 is the {{ASCII}} space character, 0100000; by an odd coincidence, {hex} 40 (01000000) is the {{EBCDIC}} space character. See {wall}. @@ -13884,29 +13884,29 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the one who should have gotten it. Often confounded with {fencepost error}, which is properly a particular subtype of it. -:offline: adv. Not now or not here. "Let's take this - discussion offline." Specifically used on {USENET} to suggest +:offline: adv. Not now or not here. Let's take this + discussion offline. Specifically used on {USENET} to suggest that a discussion be taken off a public newsgroup to email. :ogg: /awg/ [CMU] v. 1. In the multi-player space combat game Netrek, to execute kamikaze attacks against enemy ships which are carrying armies or occupying strategic positions. Named during a game in which one of the players repeatedly used the tactic while - playing Orion ship G, showing up in the player list as "Og". + playing Orion ship G, showing up in the player list as Og. This trick has been roundly denounced by those who would return to the good old days when the tactic of dogfighting was dominant, but - as Sun Tzu wrote, "What is of supreme importance in war is to - attack the enemy's strategy." However, the traditional answer to - the newbie question "What does ogg mean?" is just "Pick up some - armies and I'll show you." 2. In other games, to forcefully + as Sun Tzu wrote, What is of supreme importance in war is to + attack the enemy's strategy. However, the traditional answer to + the newbie question What does ogg mean? is just Pick up some + armies and I'll show you. 2. In other games, to forcefully attack an opponent with the expectation that the resources expended will be renewed faster than the opponent will be able to regain his previous advantage. Taken more seriously as a tactic since it has gained a simple name. 3. To do anything forcefully, possibly - without consideration of the drain on future resources. "I guess - I'd better go ogg the problem set that's due tomorrow." "Whoops! + without consideration of the drain on future resources. I guess + I'd better go ogg the problem set that's due tomorrow. Whoops! I looked down at the map for a sec and almost ogged that oncoming - car." + car. :old fart: n. Tribal elder. A title self-assumed with remarkable frequency by (esp.) USENETters who have been programming for more @@ -13924,8 +13924,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon trained monkey could do their job. It is frequently observed that the incentives that would be offered said monkeys can be used as a scale to describe the difficulty of a task. A one-banana problem - is simple; hence, "It's only a one-banana job at the most; what's - taking them so long?" + is simple; hence, It's only a one-banana job at the most; what's + taking them so long? At IBM, folklore divides the world into one-, two-, and three-banana problems. Other cultures have different hierarchies @@ -13933,8 +13933,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon (a bunch) equals a banana. Their upper limit for the in-house {sysape}s is said to be two bananas and three grapes (another source claims it's three bananas and one grape, but observes - "However, this is subject to local variations, cosmic rays and - ISO"). At a complication level any higher than that, one asks the + However, this is subject to local variations, cosmic rays and + ISO). At a complication level any higher than that, one asks the manufacturers to send someone around to check things. See also {Infinite-Monkey Theorem}. @@ -13987,7 +13987,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon small increments so that the various mixed states the cornstarch goes through as it *becomes* ooblick can be grokked in fullness by many hands. For optional ingredients of this - experience, see the "{Ceremonial Chemicals}" section of + experience, see the {Ceremonial Chemicals} section of {Appendix B}. :op: /op/ n. 1 [IRC] Someone who is endowed with privileges on @@ -14000,8 +14000,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :open: n. Abbreviation for `open (or left) parenthesis' --- used when necessary to eliminate oral ambiguity. To read aloud the LISP form - (DEFUN FOO (X) (PLUS X 1)) one might say: "Open defun foo, open - eks close, open, plus eks one, close close." + (DEFUN FOO (X) (PLUS X 1)) one might say: Open defun foo, open + eks close, open, plus eks one, close close. :Open DeathTrap: n. Abusive hackerism for the Santa Cruz Operation's `Open DeskTop' product, a Motif-based graphical @@ -14042,7 +14042,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon end goal. Perhaps it is merely that computers are young, programmers are younger, and the young are always optimists. But however the selection process works, the result is indisputable: - "This time it will surely run," or "I just found the last bug.". + This time it will surely run, or I just found the last bug.. See also {Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology}. @@ -14087,12 +14087,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon logic, the set of operators `not' and `or' is orthogonal, but the set `nand', `or', and `not' is not (because any one of these can be expressed in terms of the others). Also used - in comments on human discourse: "This may be orthogonal to the - discussion, but...." + in comments on human discourse: This may be orthogonal to the + discussion, but.... :OS: /O-S/ 1. [Operating System] n. An abbreviation heavily used in email, occasionally in speech. 2. n.,obs. On ITS, an output spy. See - "{OS and JEDGAR}" (in {Appendix A}). + {OS and JEDGAR} (in {Appendix A}). :OS/2: /O S too/ n. The anointed successor to MS-DOS for Intel 286- and 386-based micros; proof that IBM/Microsoft couldn't get it @@ -14124,12 +14124,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :overflow bit: n. 1. [techspeak] On some processors, an attempt to calculate a result too large for a register to hold causes a particular {flag} called an {overflow bit} to be set. - 2. Hackers use the term of human thought too. "Well, the {{Ada}} + 2. Hackers use the term of human thought too. Well, the {{Ada}} description was {baroque} all right, but I could hack it OK until - they got to the exception handling ... that set my overflow bit." + they got to the exception handling ... that set my overflow bit. 3. The hypothetical bit that will be set if a hacker doesn't get to - make a trip to the Room of Porcelain Fixtures: "I'd better process - an internal interrupt before the overflow bit gets set". + make a trip to the Room of Porcelain Fixtures: I'd better process + an internal interrupt before the overflow bit gets set. :overflow pdl: [MIT] n. The place where you put things when your {pdl} is full. If you don't have one and too many things get @@ -14154,11 +14154,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon one character per millisecond, so if your {silo} can hold only two characters and the machine takes longer than 2 msec to get to service the interrupt, at least one character will be lost. - 2. Also applied to non-serial-I/O communications. "I forgot to pay - my electric bill due to mail overrun." "Sorry, I got four phone - calls in 3 minutes last night and lost your message to overrun." + 2. Also applied to non-serial-I/O communications. I forgot to pay + my electric bill due to mail overrun. Sorry, I got four phone + calls in 3 minutes last night and lost your message to overrun. When {thrash}ing at tasks, the next person to make a request - might be told "Overrun!" Compare {firehose syndrome}. 3. More + might be told Overrun! Compare {firehose syndrome}. 3. More loosely, may refer to a {buffer overflow} not necessarily related to processing time (as in {overrun screw}). @@ -14197,21 +14197,21 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :page in: [MIT] vi. 1. To become aware of one's surroundings again after having paged out (see {page out}). Usually confined to - the sarcastic comment: "Eric pages in. Film at 11." See + the sarcastic comment: Eric pages in. Film at 11. See {film at 11}. 2. Syn. `swap in'; see {swap}. :page out: [MIT] vi. 1. To become unaware of one's surroundings - temporarily, due to daydreaming or preoccupation. "Can you repeat - that? I paged out for a minute." See {page in}. Compare + temporarily, due to daydreaming or preoccupation. Can you repeat + that? I paged out for a minute. See {page in}. Compare {glitch}, {thinko}. 2. Syn. `swap out'; see {swap}. :pain in the net: n. A {flamer}. :paper-net: n. Hackish way of referring to the postal service, analogizing it to a very slow, low-reliability network. USENET - {sig block}s sometimes include a "Paper-Net:" header just + {sig block}s sometimes include a Paper-Net: header just before the sender's postal address; common variants of this are - "Papernet" and "P-Net". Note that the standard {netiquette} + Papernet and P-Net. Note that the standard {netiquette} guidelines discourage this practice as a waste of bandwidth, since netters are quite unlikely to casually use postal addresses. Compare {voice-net}, {snail-mail}, {P-mail}. @@ -14225,13 +14225,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :parity errors: pl.n. Little lapses of attention or (in more severe cases) consciousness, usually brought on by having spent all night - and most of the next day hacking. "I need to go home and crash; - I'm starting to get a lot of parity errors." Derives from a + and most of the next day hacking. I need to go home and crash; + I'm starting to get a lot of parity errors. Derives from a relatively common but nearly always correctable transient error in RAM hardware. -:Parkinson's Law of Data: prov. "Data expands to fill the space - available for storage"; buying more memory encourages the use of +:Parkinson's Law of Data: prov. Data expands to fill the space + available for storage; buying more memory encourages the use of more memory-intensive techniques. It has been observed over the last 10 years that the memory usage of evolving systems tends to double roughly once every 18 months. Fortunately, memory density @@ -14246,12 +14246,12 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :parse: [from linguistic terminology] vt. 1. To determine the syntactic structure of a sentence or other utterance (close to the - standard English meaning). "That was the one I saw you." "I - can't parse that." 2. More generally, to understand or - comprehend. "It's very simple; you just kretch the glims and then - aos the zotz." "I can't parse that." 3. Of fish, to have to - remove the bones yourself. "I object to parsing fish", means "I - don't want to get a whole fish, but a sliced one is okay". A + standard English meaning). That was the one I saw you. I + can't parse that. 2. More generally, to understand or + comprehend. It's very simple; you just kretch the glims and then + aos the zotz. I can't parse that. 3. Of fish, to have to + remove the bones yourself. I object to parsing fish, means I + don't want to get a whole fish, but a sliced one is okay. A `parsed fish' has been deboned. There is some controversy over whether `unparsed' should mean `bony', or also mean `deboned'. @@ -14266,11 +14266,11 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {{Ada}} (see also {bondage-and-discipline language}). The hackish point of view on Pascal was probably best summed up by a devastating (and, in its deadpan way, screamingly funny) 1981 paper - by Brian Kernighan (of {K&R} fame) entitled "Why Pascal is - Not My Favorite Programming Language", which was turned down by the + by Brian Kernighan (of {K&R} fame) entitled Why Pascal is + Not My Favorite Programming Language, which was turned down by the technical journals but circulated widely via photocopies. It was - eventually published in "Comparing and Assessing Programming - Languages", edited by Alan Feuer and Narain Gehani (Prentice-Hall, + eventually published in Comparing and Assessing Programming + Languages, edited by Alan Feuer and Narain Gehani (Prentice-Hall, 1984). Part of his discussion is worth repeating here, because its criticisms are still apposite to Pascal itself after ten years of improvement and could also stand as an indictment of many other @@ -14284,7 +14284,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon limitations. There are no casts to disable the type-checking when necessary. There is no way to replace the defective run-time environment with a sensible one, unless one controls the compiler - that defines the "standard procedures". The language is closed. + that defines the standard procedures. The language is closed. People who use Pascal for serious programming fall into a fatal trap. Because the language is impotent, it must be extended. But @@ -14330,7 +14330,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of absolute hexadecimal patches. If you have modified your OS, you have to disassemble these back to the source. The patches might later be corrected by other patches on top of them (patches were - said to "grow scar tissue"). The result was often a convoluted + said to grow scar tissue). The result was often a convoluted {patch space} and headaches galore. 5. [UNIX] the `patch(1)' program, written by Larry Wall, which automatically applies a patch (sense 3) to a set of source code. @@ -14379,9 +14379,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the data is spectacularly ill-conditioned or that someone had to explicitly set out to break the algorithm in order to come up with such a crazy example. 3. Also said of an unlikely collection of - circumstances. "If the network is down and comes up halfway + circumstances. If the network is down and comes up halfway through the execution of that command by root, the system may - just crash." "Yes, but that's a pathological case." Often used + just crash. Yes, but that's a pathological case. Often used to dismiss the case from discussion, with the implication that the consequences are acceptable since that they will happen so infrequently (if at all) that there is no justification for @@ -14415,8 +14415,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {management} forces one to design programs. {Management} often expects it to be maintained in parallel with the code. See also {{flowchart}}. 2. v. To design using a program design - language. "I've been pdling so long my eyes won't focus beyond 2 - feet." 3. n. `Page Description Language'. Refers to any language + language. I've been pdling so long my eyes won't focus beyond 2 + feet. 3. n. `Page Description Language'. Refers to any language which is used to control a graphics device, usually a laserprinter. The most common example is, of course, Adobe's {{PostScript}} language, but there are many others, such as Xerox InterPress, @@ -14478,7 +14478,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon Since a {real operating system} provides useful, higher-level services for the tasks commonly performed with peeks and pokes on micros, and real languages tend not to encourage low-level memory - groveling, a question like "How do I do a peek in C?" is + groveling, a question like How do I do a peek in C? is diagnostic of the {newbie}. (Of course, OS kernels often have to do exactly this; a real C hacker would unhesitatingly, if unportably, assign an absolute address to a pointer variable and @@ -14499,13 +14499,13 @@ The Jargon Lexicon also {Appendix B}. :peon: n. A person with no special ({root} or {wheel}) - privileges on a computer system. "I can't create an account on - *foovax* for you; I'm only a peon there." + privileges on a computer system. I can't create an account on + *foovax* for you; I'm only a peon there. :percent-S: /per-sent' es'/ [From the code in C's `printf(3)' library function used to insert an arbitrary string argument] n. An - unspecified person or object. "I was just talking to some - percent-s in administration." Compare {random}. + unspecified person or object. I was just talking to some + percent-s in administration. Compare {random}. :perf: /perf/ n. See {chad} (sense 1). The term `perfory' /per'f*-ree/ is also heard. The term {perf} may also refer to @@ -14517,9 +14517,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon found among programmers of some native ability but relatively little experience (especially new graduates; their perceptions may be distorted by a history of excellent performance at solving {toy - problem}s). "Of course my program is correct, there is no need to - test it." "Yes, I can see there may be a problem here, but - *I'll* never type `rm -r /' while in {root}." + problem}s). Of course my program is correct, there is no need to + test it. Yes, I can see there may be a problem here, but + *I'll* never type `rm -r /' while in {root}. :Perl: /perl/ [Practical Extraction and Report Language, a.k.a Pathologically Eclectic Rubbish Lister] n. An interpreted language @@ -14529,17 +14529,17 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {awk}). UNIX sysadmins, who are almost always incorrigible hackers, increasingly consider it one of the {languages of choice}. Perl has been described, in a parody of a famous remark - about `lex(1)', as the "Swiss-Army chainsaw" of UNIX + about `lex(1)', as the Swiss-Army chainsaw of UNIX programming. :person of no account: [University of California at Santa Cruz] n. Used when referring to a person with no {network address}, frequently to forestall confusion. Most often as part of an introduction: - "This is Bill, a person of no account, but he used to be - bill@random.com". Compare {return from the dead}. + This is Bill, a person of no account, but he used to be + bill@random.com. Compare {return from the dead}. :pessimal: /pes'im-l/ [Latin-based antonym for `optimal'] adj. - Maximally bad. "This is a pessimal situation." Also `pessimize' + Maximally bad. This is a pessimal situation. Also `pessimize' vt. To make as bad as possible. These words are the obvious Latin-based antonyms for `optimal' and `optimize', but for some reason they do not appear in most English dictionaries, although @@ -14573,9 +14573,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon respect to the standard 24-hour cycle. This is a useful concept among people who often work at night and/or according to no fixed schedule. It is not uncommon to change one's phase by as much as 6 - hours per day on a regular basis. "What's your phase?" "I've + hours per day on a regular basis. What's your phase? I've been getting in about 8 P.M. lately, but I'm going to {wrap - around} to the day schedule by Friday." A person who is roughly + around} to the day schedule by Friday. A person who is roughly 12 hours out of phase is sometimes said to be in `night mode'. (The term `day mode' is also (but less frequently) used, meaning you're working 9 to 5 (or, more likely, 10 to 6).) The act of @@ -14596,9 +14596,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :phase of the moon: n. Used humorously as a random parameter on which something is said to depend. Sometimes implies unreliability of whatever is dependent, or that reliability seems to be dependent on - conditions nobody has been able to determine. "This feature + conditions nobody has been able to determine. This feature depends on having the channel open in mumble mode, having the foo - switch set, and on the phase of the moon." + switch set, and on the phase of the moon. True story: Once upon a time there was a bug that really did depend on the phase of the moon. There is a little subroutine that had @@ -14657,9 +14657,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :pilot error: [Sun: from aviation] n. A user's misconfiguration or misuse of a piece of software, producing apparently buglike results - (compare {UBD}). "Joe Luser reported a bug in sendmail that - causes it to generate bogus headers." "That's not a bug, that's - pilot error. His `sendmail.cf' is hosed." + (compare {UBD}). Joe Luser reported a bug in sendmail that + causes it to generate bogus headers. That's not a bug, that's + pilot error. His `sendmail.cf' is hosed. :ping: [from the TCP/IP acronym `Packet INternet Groper', prob. originally contrived to match the submariners' term for a sonar @@ -14670,18 +14670,18 @@ The Jargon Lexicon the attention of. From the UNIX command `ping(1)' that sends an ICMP ECHO packet to another host. 4. vt. To send a message to all members of a {mailing list} requesting an {ACK} (in order - to verify that everybody's addresses are reachable). "We haven't + to verify that everybody's addresses are reachable). We haven't heard much of anything from Geoff, but he did respond with an ACK - both times I pinged jargon-friends." 5. n. A quantum packet of + both times I pinged jargon-friends. 5. n. A quantum packet of happiness. People who are very happy tend to exude pings; furthermore, one can intentionally create pings and aim them at a needy party (e.g., a depressed person). This sense of ping may - appear as an exclamation; "Ping!" (I'm happy; I am emitting a + appear as an exclamation; Ping! (I'm happy; I am emitting a quantum of happiness; I have been struck by a quantum of - happiness). The form "pingfulness", which is used to describe + happiness). The form pingfulness, which is used to describe people who exude pings, also occurs. (In the standard abuse of - language, "pingfulness" can also be used as an exclamation, in - which case it's a much stronger exclamation than just "ping"!). + language, pingfulness can also be used as an exclamation, in + which case it's a much stronger exclamation than just ping!). Oppose {blargh}. The funniest use of `ping' to date was described in January 1991 by @@ -14693,7 +14693,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon wrote a script that repeatedly invoked `ping(8)', listened for an echo, and played back the recording on each returned packet. Result? A program that caused the machine to repeat, over and - over, "Ping ... ping ... ping ..." as long as the + over, Ping ... ping ... ping ... as long as the network was up. He turned the volume to maximum, ferreted through the building with one ear cocked, and found a faulty tee connector in no time. @@ -14715,8 +14715,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon of utility and primitivity that were no doubt quite intentional). :pistol: [IBM] n. A tool that makes it all too easy for you to - shoot yourself in the foot. "UNIX `rm *' makes such a nice - pistol!" + shoot yourself in the foot. UNIX `rm *' makes such a nice + pistol! :pizza box: [Sun] n. The largish thin box housing the electronics in (especially Sun) desktop workstations, so named because of its @@ -14735,8 +14735,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :plaid screen: [XEROX PARC] n. A `special effect' that occurs when certain kinds of {memory smash}es overwrite the control - blocks or image memory of a bit-mapped display. The term "salt and - pepper" may refer to a different pattern of similar origin. + blocks or image memory of a bit-mapped display. The term salt and + pepper may refer to a different pattern of similar origin. Though the term as coined at PARC refers to the result of an error, some of the {X} demos induce plaid-screen effects deliberately as a {display hack}. @@ -14752,7 +14752,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon for Y}. A recent innovation in plan files has been the introduction of - "scrolling plan files" which are one-dimensional animations made + scrolling plan files which are one-dimensional animations made using only the printable ASCII character set, carriage return and line feed, avoiding terminal specific escape sequences, since the {finger} command will (for security) not pass the escape @@ -14787,9 +14787,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon propagating in a vacuum. It is now defined as the length of the path traveled by light in a vacuum in the time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second. The kilogram is now the only unit of - measure officially defined in terms of a unique artifact.) "This + measure officially defined in terms of a unique artifact.) This garbage-collection algorithm has been tested against the - platinum-iridium cons cell in Paris." Compare {golden}. + platinum-iridium cons cell in Paris. Compare {golden}. :playpen: [IBM] n. A room where programmers work. Compare {salt mines}. @@ -14835,7 +14835,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon cheap booze, or `plonker' for someone behaving stupidly] The sound a {newbie} makes as he falls to the bottom of a {kill file}. Used almost exclusively in the {newsgroup} talk.bizarre, - this term (usually written "*plonk*") is a form of public + this term (usually written *plonk*) is a form of public ridicule. :plugh: /ploogh/ [from the {ADVENT} game] v. See {xyzzy}. @@ -14849,9 +14849,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon and the capability is considered one of UNIX's major winning features. A few other OSs such as IBM's VM/CMS support similar facilities. Esp. used in the construction `hairy plumbing' - (see {hairy}). "You can kluge together a basic spell-checker + (see {hairy}). You can kluge together a basic spell-checker out of `sort(1)', `comm(1)', and `tr(1)' with a - little plumbing." See also {tee}. + little plumbing. See also {tee}. :PM: /P-M/ 1. v. (from `preventive maintenance') To bring down a machine for inspection or test purposes; see {scratch @@ -14861,8 +14861,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :pnambic: /p*-nam'bik/ [Acronym from the scene in the film version of `The Wizard of Oz' in which the true nature of the - wizard is first discovered: "Pay no attention to the man behind - the curtain."] 1. A stage of development of a process or function + wizard is first discovered: Pay no attention to the man behind + the curtain.] 1. A stage of development of a process or function that, owing to incomplete implementation or to the complexity of the system, requires human interaction to simulate or replace some or all of the actions, inputs, or outputs of the process or @@ -14870,10 +14870,10 @@ The Jargon Lexicon apparent operations are wholly or partially falsified. 3. Requiring {prestidigitization}. - The ultimate pnambic product was "Dan Bricklin's Demo", a program + The ultimate pnambic product was Dan Bricklin's Demo, a program which supported flashy user-interface design prototyping. There is - a related maxim among hackers: "Any sufficiently advanced - technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo." See + a related maxim among hackers: Any sufficiently advanced + technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo. See {magic}, sense 1, for illumination of this point. :pod: [allegedly from abbreviation POD for `Prince Of Darkness'] n. A @@ -14893,9 +14893,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :poll: v.,n. 1. [techspeak] The action of checking the status of an input line, sensor, or memory location to see if a particular external event has been registered. 2. To repeatedly call or check - with someone: "I keep polling him, but he's not answering his - phone; he must be swapped out." 3. To ask. "Lunch? I poll for - a takeout order daily." + with someone: I keep polling him, but he's not answering his + phone; he must be swapped out. 3. To ask. Lunch? I poll for + a takeout order daily. :polygon pusher: n. A chip designer who spends most of his or her time at the physical layout level (which requires drawing @@ -14913,19 +14913,19 @@ The Jargon Lexicon working on it and can now remove it from the list of things hanging overhead. 2. When a discussion gets to too deep a level of detail so that the main point of the discussion is being lost, someone - will shout "Pop!", meaning "Get back up to a higher level!" + will shout Pop!, meaning Get back up to a higher level! The shout is frequently accompanied by an upthrust arm with a finger pointing to the ceiling. :POPJ: /pop'J/ [from a {PDP-10} return-from-subroutine instruction] n.,v. To return from a digression. By verb doubling, - "Popj, popj" means roughly "Now let's see, where were we?" + Popj, popj means roughly Now let's see, where were we? See {RTI}. :post: v. To send a message to a {mailing list} or {newsgroup}. Distinguished in context from `mail'; one might ask, for - example: "Are you going to post the patch or mail it to known - users?" + example: Are you going to post the patch or mail it to known + users? :postcardware: n. {Shareware} that borders on {freeware}, in that the author requests only that satisfied users send a postcard @@ -14975,7 +14975,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon intention of clearing some kind of {hung} or {gronk}ed state. Syn. {120 reset}; see also {Big Red Switch}. Compare {Vulcan nerve pinch}, {bounce}, and {boot}, and see the - AI Koan in "{A Selection of AI Koans}" (in + AI Koan in {A Selection of AI Koans} (in {Appendix A}) about Tom Knight and the novice. :power hit: n. A spike or drop-out in the electricity supplying @@ -15006,9 +15006,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :prepend: /pree`pend'/ [by analogy with `append'] vt. To prefix. As with `append' (but not `prefix' or `suffix' as a verb), the direct object is always the thing being added and not - the original word (or character string, or whatever). "If you + the original word (or character string, or whatever). If you prepend a semicolon to the line, the translation routine will pass - it through unaltered." + it through unaltered. :prestidigitization: /pres`t*-di`j*-ti:-zay'sh*n/ n. 1. The act of putting something into digital notation via sleight of hand. @@ -15067,8 +15067,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon for the instruction of computers, which is nevertheless almost inevitably a failure if other programmers can't understand it. -:Programmer's Cheer: "Shift to the left! Shift to the right! Pop - up, push down! Byte! Byte! Byte!" A joke so old it has hair on +:Programmer's Cheer: Shift to the left! Shift to the right! Pop + up, push down! Byte! Byte! Byte! A joke so old it has hair on it. :programming: n. 1. The art of debugging a blank sheet of paper (or, @@ -15175,8 +15175,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon :pubic directory: [NYU] (also `pube directory' /pyoob' d*-rek't*-ree/) n. The `pub' (public) directory on a machine that allows {FTP} access. So called because it is the default - location for {SEX} (sense 1). "I'll have the source in the - pube directory by Friday." + location for {SEX} (sense 1). I'll have the source in the + pube directory by Friday. :puff: vt. To decompress data that has been crunched by Huffman coding. At least one widely distributed Huffman decoder program @@ -15207,20 +15207,20 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {dusty deck}, {lace card}, {card walloper}. :punt: [from the punch line of an old joke referring to American - football: "Drop back 15 yards and punt!"] v. 1. To give up, - typically without any intention of retrying. "Let's punt the - movie tonight." "I was going to hack all night to get this - feature in, but I decided to punt" may mean that you've decided + football: Drop back 15 yards and punt!] v. 1. To give up, + typically without any intention of retrying. Let's punt the + movie tonight. I was going to hack all night to get this + feature in, but I decided to punt may mean that you've decided not to stay up all night, and may also mean you're not ever even going to put in the feature. 2. More specifically, to give up on figuring out what the {Right Thing} is and resort to an inefficient hack. 3. A design decision to defer solving a problem, typically because one cannot define what is desirable - sufficiently well to frame an algorithmic solution. "No way to + sufficiently well to frame an algorithmic solution. No way to know what the right form to dump the graph in is --- we'll punt - that for now." 4. To hand a tricky implementation problem off - to some other section of the design. "It's too hard to get the - compiler to do that; let's punt to the runtime system." + that for now. 4. To hand a tricky implementation problem off + to some other section of the design. It's too hard to get the + compiler to do that; let's punt to the runtime system. :Purple Book: n. 1. The `System V Interface Definition'. The covers of the first editions were an amazingly nauseating shade of @@ -15271,9 +15271,9 @@ The Jargon Lexicon because when one invented a new command one usually assigned it to some character that was easier to type. If you want to imply that a program has ridiculously many commands or features, you can say - something like: "Oh, the command that makes it spin the tapes + something like: Oh, the command that makes it spin the tapes while whistling Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is - quadruple-bucky-cokebottle." See {double bucky}, {bucky + quadruple-bucky-cokebottle. See {double bucky}, {bucky bits}, {cokebottle}. :quantifiers:: In techspeak and jargon, the standard metric @@ -15340,8 +15340,8 @@ The Jargon Lexicon giga- G G, GB, gig /gig/,/jig/ Confusingly, hackers often use K or M as though they were suffix or - numeric multipliers rather than a prefix; thus "2K dollars", "2M - of disk space". This is also true (though less commonly) of G. + numeric multipliers rather than a prefix; thus 2K dollars, 2M + of disk space. This is also true (though less commonly) of G. Note that the formal SI metric prefix for 1000 is `k'; some use this strictly, reserving `K' for multiplication by 1024 (KB is @@ -15359,7 +15359,7 @@ The Jargon Lexicon {marketroid}. One example of this: it is common to refer to the capacity of the - 3.5" {microfloppies} now ubiquitous in the PC world as `1.44 MB' + 3.5 {microfloppies} now ubiquitous in the PC world as `1.44 MB' In fact, this is a completely {bogus} number. The correct size is 1440 KB, that is, 1440 * 1024 = 1474560 bytes. So the `mega' in `1.44 MB' is compounded of two `kilos', one of which is 1024 @@ -15408,13 +15408,13 @@ grouchi :ques: /kwes/ 1. n. The question mark character (`?', ASCII 0111111). 2. interj. What? Also frequently verb-doubled as - "Ques ques?" See {wall}. + Ques ques? See {wall}. :quick-and-dirty: adj. Describes a {crock} put together under time or user pressure. Used esp. when you want to convey that you think - the fast way might lead to trouble further down the road. "I can + the fast way might lead to trouble further down the road. I can have a quick-and-dirty fix in place tonight, but I'll have to - rewrite the whole module to solve the underlying design problem." + rewrite the whole module to solve the underlying design problem. See also {kluge}. :quine: [from the name of the logician Willard V. Quine, via @@ -15435,8 +15435,8 @@ grouchi languages like C which do not. Here is a classic C quine for ASCII machines: - char*f="char*f=%c%s%c;main() - {printf(f,34,f,34,10);}%c"; + char*f=char*f=%c%s%c;main() + {printf(f,34,f,34,10);}%c; main(){printf(f,34,f,34,10);} For excruciatingly exact quinishness, remove the interior line @@ -15444,10 +15444,10 @@ grouchi quines that reproduced in exotic ways. :quote chapter and verse: [by analogy with the mainstream phrase] - v. To cite a relevant excerpt from an appropriate {bible}. "I + v. To cite a relevant excerpt from an appropriate {bible}. I don't care if `rn' gets it wrong; `Followup-To: poster' is explicitly permitted by {RFC}-1036. I'll quote chapter and verse if - you don't believe me." + you don't believe me. :quotient: n. See {coefficient of X}. @@ -15467,7 +15467,7 @@ grouchi it. 3. Guy Steele in his persona as `The Great Quux', which is somewhat infamous for light verse and for the `Crunchly' cartoons. 4. In some circles, quux is used as a punning opposite of `crux'. - "Ah, that's the quux of the matter!" implies that the point is + Ah, that's the quux of the matter! implies that the point is *not* crucial (compare {tip of the ice-cube}). 5. quuxy: adj. Of or pertaining to a quux. @@ -15507,8 +15507,8 @@ grouchi :rain dance: n. 1. Any ceremonial action taken to correct a hardware problem, with the expectation that nothing will be accomplished. This especially applies to reseating printed circuit boards, - reconnecting cables, etc. "I can't boot up the machine. We'll - have to wait for Greg to do his rain dance." 2. Any arcane + reconnecting cables, etc. I can't boot up the machine. We'll + have to wait for Greg to do his rain dance. 2. Any arcane sequence of actions performed with computers or software in order to achieve some goal; the term is usually restricted to rituals that include both an {incantation} or two and physical activity @@ -15520,21 +15520,21 @@ grouchi NCSC security manuals (see {Orange Book}, {crayola books}); the term has also been commonly applied to the PostScript reference set (see {Red Book}, {Green Book}, {Blue Book}, {White - Book}). Which books are meant by "`the' rainbow series" + Book}). Which books are meant by `the' rainbow series unqualified is thus dependent on one's local technical culture. :random: adj. 1. Unpredictable (closest to mathematical - definition); weird. "The system's been behaving pretty - randomly." 2. Assorted; undistinguished. "Who was at the - conference?" "Just a bunch of random business types." - 3. (pejorative) Frivolous; unproductive; undirected. "He's just a - random loser." 4. Incoherent or inelegant; poorly chosen; not - well organized. "The program has a random set of misfeatures." - "That's a random name for that function." "Well, all the names - were chosen pretty randomly." 5. In no particular order, though - deterministic. "The I/O channels are in a pool, and when a file - is opened one is chosen randomly." 6. Arbitrary. "It generates - a random name for the scratch file." 7. Gratuitously wrong, i.e., + definition); weird. The system's been behaving pretty + randomly. 2. Assorted; undistinguished. Who was at the + conference? Just a bunch of random business types. + 3. (pejorative) Frivolous; unproductive; undirected. He's just a + random loser. 4. Incoherent or inelegant; poorly chosen; not + well organized. The program has a random set of misfeatures. + That's a random name for that function. Well, all the names + were chosen pretty randomly. 5. In no particular order, though + deterministic. The I/O channels are in a pool, and when a file + is opened one is chosen randomly. 6. Arbitrary. It generates + a random name for the scratch file. 7. Gratuitously wrong, i.e., poorly done and for no good apparent reason. For example, a program that handles file name defaulting in a particularly useless way, or an assembler routine that could easily have been coded @@ -15544,8 +15544,8 @@ grouchi 8. n. A random hacker; used particularly of high-school students who soak up computer time and generally get in the way. 9. n. Anyone who is not a hacker (or, sometimes, anyone not known to the - hacker speaking); the noun form of sense 2. "I went to the talk, - but the audience was full of randoms asking bogus questions". + hacker speaking); the noun form of sense 2. I went to the talk, + but the audience was full of randoms asking bogus questions. 10. n. (occasional MIT usage) One who lives at Random Hall. See also {J. Random}, {some random X}. @@ -15581,28 +15581,28 @@ grouchi inelegance. 2. A {hack} or {crock} that depends on a complex combination of coincidences (or, possibly, the combination upon which the crock depends for its accidental failure to malfunction). - "This hack can output characters 40--57 by putting the character + This hack can output characters 40--57 by putting the character in the four-bit accumulator field of an XCT and then extracting six bits --- the low 2 bits of the XCT opcode are the right - thing." "What randomness!" 3. Of people, synonymous with + thing. What randomness! 3. Of people, synonymous with `flakiness'. The connotation is that the person so described is behaving weirdly, incompetently, or inappropriately for reasons which are (a) too tiresome to bother inquiring into, (b) are probably as inscrutable as quantum phenomena anyway, and (c) are - likely to pass with time. "Maybe he has a real complaint, or maybe - it's just randomness. See if he calls back." + likely to pass with time. Maybe he has a real complaint, or maybe + it's just randomness. See if he calls back. :rape: vt. 1. To {screw} someone or something, violently; in particular, to destroy a program or information irrecoverably. - Often used in describing file-system damage. "So-and-so was + Often used in describing file-system damage. So-and-so was running a program that did absolute disk I/O and ended up raping - the master directory." 2. To strip a piece of hardware for parts. + the master directory. 2. To strip a piece of hardware for parts. 3. [CMU/Pitt] To mass-copy files from an anonymous ftp site. - "Last night I raped Simtel's dskutl directory." + Last night I raped Simtel's dskutl directory. :rare mode: [UNIX] adj. CBREAK mode (character-by-character with interrupts enabled). Distinguished from {raw mode} and {cooked - mode}; the phrase "a sort of half-cooked (rare?) mode" is used + mode}; the phrase a sort of half-cooked (rare?) mode is used in the V7/BSD manuals to describe the mode. Usage: rare. :raster blaster: n. [Cambridge] Specialized hardware for @@ -15645,8 +15645,8 @@ grouchi ones include Chinese chives), and is cooked differently, either by steaming or frying. A rav or dumpling can be cooked any way, but a potsticker is always the fried kind (so called because it sticks to - the frying pot and has to be scraped off). "Let's get - hot-and-sour soup and three orders of ravs." See also + the frying pot and has to be scraped off). Let's get + hot-and-sour soup and three orders of ravs. See also {{oriental food}}. :raw mode: n. A mode that allows a program to transfer bits @@ -15683,7 +15683,7 @@ grouchi and restrictions. When asked, hackers invariably relate the README convention to the famous scene in Lewis Carroll's `Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' in which Alice confronts magic munchies - labeled "Eat Me" and "Drink Me". + labeled Eat Me and Drink Me. :real: adj. Not simulated. Often used as a specific antonym to {virtual} in any of its jargon senses. @@ -15700,11 +15700,11 @@ grouchi :real operating system: n. The sort the speaker is used to. People from the BSDophilic academic community are likely to issue comments - like "System V? Why don't you use a *real* operating - system?", people from the commercial/industrial UNIX sector are - known to complain "BSD? Why don't you use a *real* - operating system?", and people from IBM object "UNIX? Why don't - you use a *real* operating system?" See {holy wars}, + like System V? Why don't you use a *real* operating + system?, people from the commercial/industrial UNIX sector are + known to complain BSD? Why don't you use a *real* + operating system?, and people from IBM object UNIX? Why don't + you use a *real* operating system? See {holy wars}, {religious issues}, {proprietary}, {Get a real computer!} :Real Programmer: [indirectly, from the book `Real Men Don't @@ -15717,9 +15717,9 @@ grouchi his code because full-screen editors are for wimps. Real Programmers aren't satisfied with code that hasn't been {bum}med into a state of {tense}ness just short of rupture. Real - Programmers never use comments or write documentation: "If it was - hard to write", says the Real Programmer, "it should be hard to - understand." Real Programmers can make machines do things that + Programmers never use comments or write documentation: If it was + hard to write, says the Real Programmer, it should be hard to + understand. Real Programmers can make machines do things that were never in their spec sheets; in fact, they are seldom really happy unless doing so. A Real Programmer's code can awe with its fiendish brilliance, even as its crockishness appalls. Real @@ -15729,10 +15729,10 @@ grouchi their code in order to change it. Their successors generally consider it a {Good Thing} that there aren't many Real Programmers around any more. For a famous (and somewhat more - positive) portrait of a Real Programmer, see "{The Story - of Mel, a Real Programmer}" in {Appendix A}. The term itself - was popularized by a 1983 Datamation article "Real - Programmers Don't Use Pascal" by Ed Post, still circulating on + positive) portrait of a Real Programmer, see {The Story + of Mel, a Real Programmer} in {Appendix A}. The term itself + was popularized by a 1983 Datamation article Real + Programmers Don't Use Pascal by Ed Post, still circulating on USENET and Internet in on-line form. :Real Soon Now: [orig. from SF's fanzine community, popularized by @@ -15749,17 +15749,17 @@ grouchi applications often require special operating systems (because everything else must take a back seat to response time) and speed-tuned hardware. 2. adv. In jargon, refers to doing something - while people are watching or waiting. "I asked her how to find + while people are watching or waiting. I asked her how to find the calling procedure's program counter on the stack and she came - up with an algorithm in real time." + up with an algorithm in real time. :real user: n. 1. A commercial user. One who is paying *real* money for his computer usage. 2. A non-hacker. Someone using the system for an explicit purpose (a research project, a course, etc.) other than pure exploration. See {user}. Hackers who are also - students may also be real users. "I need this fixed so I can do a + students may also be real users. I need this fixed so I can do a problem set. I'm not complaining out of randomness, but as a real - user." See also {luser}. + user. See also {luser}. :Real World: n. 1. Those institutions at which `programming' may be used in the same sentence as `FORTRAN', `{COBOL}', @@ -15769,8 +15769,8 @@ grouchi non-programmers and activities not related to programming. 3. A bizarre dimension in which the standard dress is shirt and tie and in which a person's working hours are defined as 9 to 5 (see - {code grinder}). 4. Anywhere outside a university. "Poor - fellow, he's left MIT and gone into the Real World." Used + {code grinder}). 4. Anywhere outside a university. Poor + fellow, he's left MIT and gone into the Real World. Used pejoratively by those not in residence there. In conversation, talking of someone who has entered the Real World is not unlike speaking of a deceased person. It is also noteworthy that on the @@ -15798,12 +15798,12 @@ grouchi :recursive acronym:: pl.n. A hackish (and especially MIT) tradition is to choose acronyms/abbreviations that refer humorously to themselves or to other acronyms/abbreviations. The classic - examples were two MIT editors called EINE ("EINE Is Not EMACS") - and ZWEI ("ZWEI Was EINE Initially"). More recently, there is a + examples were two MIT editors called EINE (EINE Is Not EMACS) + and ZWEI (ZWEI Was EINE Initially). More recently, there is a Scheme compiler called LIAR (Liar Imitates Apply Recursively), and - {GNU} (q.v., sense 1) stands for "GNU's Not UNIX!" --- and a - company with the name CYGNUS, which expands to "Cygnus, Your GNU - Support". See also {mung}, {EMACS}. + {GNU} (q.v., sense 1) stands for GNU's Not UNIX! --- and a + company with the name CYGNUS, which expands to Cygnus, Your GNU + Support. See also {mung}, {EMACS}. :Red Book: n. 1. Informal name for one of the three standard references on {{PostScript}} (`PostScript Language Reference @@ -15820,9 +15820,9 @@ grouchi 1 through 4 fax standards. 4. The new version of the {Green Book} (sense 4) --- IEEE 1003.1-1990, a.k.a ISO 9945-1 --- is (because of the color and the fact that it is printed on A4 paper) - known in the U.S.A. as "the Ugly Red Book That Won't Fit On The - Shelf" and in Europe as "the Ugly Red Book That's A Sensible - Size". 5. The NSA `Trusted Network Interpretation' companion + known in the U.S.A. as the Ugly Red Book That Won't Fit On The + Shelf and in Europe as the Ugly Red Book That's A Sensible + Size. 5. The NSA `Trusted Network Interpretation' companion to the {Orange Book}. See also {{book titles}}. :red wire: [IBM] n. Patch wires installed by programmers who have @@ -15871,23 +15871,23 @@ grouchi :religion of CHI: n. /ki:/ [Case Western Reserve University] n. Yet another hackish parody religion (see also {Church of the SubGenius}, {Discordianism}). In the mid-70s, the canonical - "Introduction to Programming" courses at CWRU were taught in + Introduction to Programming courses at CWRU were taught in Algol, and student exercises were punched on cards and run on a Univac 1108 system using a homebrew operating system named CHI. The religion had no doctrines and but one ritual: whenever the worshipper noted that a digital clock read 11:08, he or she would - recite the phrase "It is 11:08; ABS, ALPHABETIC, ARCSIN, ARCCOS, - ARCTAN." The last five words were the first five functions in the + recite the phrase It is 11:08; ABS, ALPHABETIC, ARCSIN, ARCCOS, + ARCTAN. The last five words were the first five functions in the appropriate chapter of the Algol manual; note the special pronunciations /obz/ and /ark'sin/ rather than the more common /abz/ and /ark'si:n/. Using an alarm clock to warn of 11:08's arrival was {considered harmful}. :religious issues: n. Questions which seemingly cannot be raised - without touching off {holy wars}, such as "What is the best + without touching off {holy wars}, such as What is the best operating system (or editor, language, architecture, shell, mail - reader, news reader)?", "What about that Heinlein guy, eh?", - "What should we add to the new Jargon File?" See {holy wars}; + reader, news reader)?, What about that Heinlein guy, eh?, + What should we add to the new Jargon File? See {holy wars}; see also {theology}, {bigot}. This term is an example of {ha ha only serious}. People @@ -15932,14 +15932,14 @@ grouchi new story `reveals' things about events in previous stories, usually leaving the `facts' the same (thus preserving continuity) while completely changing their interpretation. For - example, revealing that a whole season of "Dallas" was a + example, revealing that a whole season of Dallas was a dream was a retcon. 2. vt. To write such a story about a character - or fictitious object. "Byrne has retconned Superman's cape so - that it is no longer unbreakable." "Marvelman's old adventures - were retconned into synthetic dreams." "Swamp Thing was - retconned from a transformed person into a sentient vegetable." - "Darth Vader was retconned into Luke Skywalker's father in - "The Empire Strikes Back". + or fictitious object. Byrne has retconned Superman's cape so + that it is no longer unbreakable. Marvelman's old adventures + were retconned into synthetic dreams. Swamp Thing was + retconned from a transformed person into a sentient vegetable. + Darth Vader was retconned into Luke Skywalker's father in + The Empire Strikes Back. [This is included because it is a good example of hackish linguistic innovation in a field completely unrelated to computers. @@ -15987,10 +15987,10 @@ grouchi typical of ANSI or ISO. Emblematic of some of these is the existence of a flourishing tradition of `joke' RFCs; usually at least one a year is published, usually on April 1st. Well-known - joke RFCs have included 527 ("ARPAWOCKY", R. Merryman, UCSD; 22 - June 1973), 748 ("Telnet Randomly-Lose Option", Mark R. Crispin; - 1 April 1978), and 1149 ("A Standard for the Transmission of IP - Datagrams on Avian Carriers", D. Waitzman, BBN STC; 1 April 1990). + joke RFCs have included 527 (ARPAWOCKY, R. Merryman, UCSD; 22 + June 1973), 748 (Telnet Randomly-Lose Option, Mark R. Crispin; + 1 April 1978), and 1149 (A Standard for the Transmission of IP + Datagrams on Avian Carriers, D. Waitzman, BBN STC; 1 April 1990). The first was a Lewis Carroll pastiche; the second a parody of the TCP-IP documentation style, and the third a deadpan skewering of standards-document legalese, describing protocols for transmitting @@ -16020,12 +16020,12 @@ grouchi :Right Thing: n. That which is *compellingly* the correct or appropriate thing to use, do, say, etc. Often capitalized, always emphasized in speech as though capitalized. Use of this term often - implies that in fact reasonable people may disagree. "What's the + implies that in fact reasonable people may disagree. What's the right thing for LISP to do when it sees `(mod a 0)'? Should - it return `a', or give a divide-by-0 error?" Oppose + it return `a', or give a divide-by-0 error? Oppose {Wrong Thing}. -:RL: // [MUD community] n. Real Life. "Firiss laughs in RL" +:RL: // [MUD community] n. Real Life. Firiss laughs in RL means that Firiss's player is laughing. Oppose {VR}. :roach: [Bell Labs] vt. To destroy, esp. of a data structure. Hardware @@ -16037,7 +16037,7 @@ grouchi users from adopting {nick}s already claimed by others, and MsgServ, which allows one to send asynchronous messages to be delivered when the recipient signs on. Also common are - "annoybots", such as KissServ, which perform no useful function + annoybots, such as KissServ, which perform no useful function except to send cute messages to other people. Service robots are less common on MUDs; but some others, such as the `Julia' robot active in 1990--91, have been remarkably impressive Turing-test @@ -16056,8 +16056,8 @@ grouchi gold leaf and curlicues that they have completely swamped the underlying design. Called after the later and more extreme forms of Baroque architecture and decoration prevalent during the - mid-1700s in Europe. Alan Perlis said: "Every program eventually - becomes rococo, and then rubble." Compare {critical + mid-1700s in Europe. Alan Perlis said: Every program eventually + becomes rococo, and then rubble. Compare {critical mass}. :rogue: [UNIX] n. A Dungeons-and-Dragons-like game using character @@ -16070,9 +16070,9 @@ grouchi inspiration provided by `rogue(6)'. See {nethack}. :room-temperature IQ: [IBM] quant. 80 or below. Used in describing the - expected intelligence range of the {luser}. "Well, but + expected intelligence range of the {luser}. Well, but how's this interface going to play with the room-temperature IQ - crowd?" See {drool-proof paper}. This is a much more insulting + crowd? See {drool-proof paper}. This is a much more insulting phrase in countries that use Celsius thermometers. :root: [UNIX] n. 1. The {superuser} account that ignores @@ -16089,8 +16089,8 @@ grouchi :rot13: /rot ther'teen/ [USENET: from `rotate alphabet 13 places'] n., v. The simple Caesar-cypher encryption that replaces each English letter with the one 13 places forward or back - along the alphabet, so that "The butler did it!" becomes "Gur - ohgyre qvq vg!" Most USENET news reading and posting programs + along the alphabet, so that The butler did it! becomes Gur + ohgyre qvq vg! Most USENET news reading and posting programs include a rot13 feature. It is used to enclose the text in a sealed wrapper that the reader must choose to open --- e.g., for posting things that might offend some readers, or answers to @@ -16111,7 +16111,7 @@ grouchi :RTBM: /R-T-B-M/ [UNIX] imp. Commonwealth Hackish variant of {RTFM}; expands to `Read The Bloody Manual'. RTBM is often the entire text of the first reply to a question from a {newbie}; - the *second* would escalate to "RTFM". + the *second* would escalate to RTFM. :RTFAQ: /R-T-F-A-Q/ [USENET: primarily written, by analogy with {RTFM}] imp. Abbrev. for `Read the FAQ!', an exhortation that @@ -16122,15 +16122,15 @@ grouchi Binary'. Used when neither documentation nor the the source for the problem at hand exists, and the only thing to do is use some debugger or monitor and directly analyze the assembler or even - the machine code. "No source for the buggy port driver? Aaargh! I - *hate* proprietary operating systems. Time to RTFB." + the machine code. No source for the buggy port driver? Aaargh! I + *hate* proprietary operating systems. Time to RTFB. :RTFM: /R-T-F-M/ [UNIX] imp. Acronym for `Read The Fucking Manual'. 1. Used by {guru}s to brush off questions they consider trivial or annoying. Compare {Don't do that, then!} 2. Used when reporting a problem to indicate that you aren't just - asking out of {randomness}. "No, I can't figure out how to - interface UNIX to my toaster, and yes, I have RTFM." Unlike + asking out of {randomness}. No, I can't figure out how to + interface UNIX to my toaster, and yes, I have RTFM. Unlike sense 1, this use is considered polite. See also {FM}, {RTFAQ}, {RTFB}, {RTFS}, {RTM}, all of which mutated from RTFM, and compare {UTSL}. @@ -16162,7 +16162,7 @@ grouchi interrupt' instruction on many computers including the 6502 and 6800. The variant `RETI' is found among former Z80 hackers (almost nobody programs these things in assembler anymore). - Equivalent to "Now, where was I?" or used to end a + Equivalent to Now, where was I? or used to end a conversational digression. See {pop}; see also {POPJ}. :RTM: /R-T-M/ [USENET: abbreviation for `Read The Manual'] @@ -16193,7 +16193,7 @@ grouchi :runic: adj. Syn. {obscure}. VMS fans sometimes refer to UNIX as `Runix'; UNIX fans return the compliment by expanding VMS to `Very Messy Syntax' or `Vachement Mauvais Syst`eme' (French; lit. - "Cowlike Bad System", idiomatically "Bitchy Bad System"). + Cowlike Bad System, idiomatically Bitchy Bad System). :rusty iron: n. Syn. {tired iron}. It has been claimed that this is the inevitable fate of {water MIPS}. @@ -16210,8 +16210,8 @@ grouchi :sacred: adj. Reserved for the exclusive use of something (an extension of the standard meaning). Often means that anyone may look at the sacred object, but clobbering it will screw whatever it - is sacred to. The comment "Register 7 is sacred to the interrupt - handler" appearing in a program would be interpreted by a hacker + is sacred to. The comment Register 7 is sacred to the interrupt + handler appearing in a program would be interpreted by a hacker to mean that if any *other* part of the program changes the contents of register 7, dire consequences are likely to ensue. @@ -16233,7 +16233,7 @@ grouchi about 40 miles south of San Francisco. We ate at The Good Earth, a `health food' restaurant, very popular, the sort whose milkshakes all contain honey and protein powder. JONL ordered such a shake - --- the waitress claimed the flavor of the day was "lalaberry". I + --- the waitress claimed the flavor of the day was lalaberry. I still have no idea what that might be, but it became a running joke. It was the color of raspberry, and JONL said it tasted rather bitter. I ate a better tostada there than I have ever had @@ -16241,8 +16241,8 @@ grouchi After this we went to the local Uncle Gaylord's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. They make ice cream fresh daily, in a variety of - intriguing flavors. It's a chain, and they have a slogan: "If you - don't live near an Uncle Gaylord's --- MOVE!" Also, Uncle Gaylord + intriguing flavors. It's a chain, and they have a slogan: If you + don't live near an Uncle Gaylord's --- MOVE! Also, Uncle Gaylord (a real person) wages a constant battle to force big-name ice cream makers to print their ingredients on the package (like air and plastic and other non-natural garbage). JONL and I had first @@ -16262,15 +16262,15 @@ grouchi to Uncle Gaylord's (the one in Palo Alto) was mandatory. We had arrived on a Wednesday, and by Thursday evening we had been there at least four times. Each time, JONL would get ginger honey ice - cream, and proclaim to all bystanders that "Ginger was the spice + cream, and proclaim to all bystanders that Ginger was the spice that drove the Europeans mad! That's why they sought a route to the East! They used it to preserve their otherwise off-taste - meat." After the third or fourth repetition RPG and I were getting - a little tired of this spiel, and began to paraphrase him: "Wow! - Ginger! The spice that makes rotten meat taste good!" "Say! Why + meat. After the third or fourth repetition RPG and I were getting + a little tired of this spiel, and began to paraphrase him: Wow! + Ginger! The spice that makes rotten meat taste good! Say! Why don't we find some dog that's been run over and sat in the sun for - a week and put some *ginger* on it for dinner?!" "Right! With a - lalaberry shake!" And so on. This failed to faze JONL; he took it + a week and put some *ginger* on it for dinner?! Right! With a + lalaberry shake! And so on. This failed to faze JONL; he took it in good humor, as long as we kept returning to Uncle Gaylord's. He loves ginger honey ice cream. @@ -16279,8 +16279,8 @@ grouchi JONL and I took them out to a nice French restaurant of their choosing. I unadventurously chose the filet mignon, and KBT had je ne sais quoi du jour, but RPG and JONL had lapin (rabbit). - (Waitress: "Oui, we have fresh rabbit, fresh today." RPG: "Well, - JONL, I guess we won't need any *ginger*!") + (Waitress: Oui, we have fresh rabbit, fresh today. RPG: Well, + JONL, I guess we won't need any *ginger*!) We finished the meal late, about 11 P.M., which is 2 A.M Boston time, so JONL and I were rather droopy. But it wasn't yet @@ -16294,13 +16294,13 @@ grouchi direction of Berkeley, and half-jokingly suggested that we continue north and go to Uncle Gaylord's in Berkeley. - RPG said "Fine!" and we drove on for a while and talked. I was + RPG said Fine! and we drove on for a while and talked. I was drowsy, and JONL actually dropped off to sleep for 5 minutes. When - he awoke, RPG said, "Gee, JONL, you must have slept all the way - over the bridge!", referring to the one spanning San Francisco - Bay. Just then we came to a sign that said "University Avenue". I + he awoke, RPG said, Gee, JONL, you must have slept all the way + over the bridge!, referring to the one spanning San Francisco + Bay. Just then we came to a sign that said University Avenue. I mumbled something about working our way over to Telegraph Avenue; - RPG said "Right!" and maneuvered some more. Eventually we pulled + RPG said Right! and maneuvered some more. Eventually we pulled up in front of an Uncle Gaylord's. Now, I hadn't really been paying attention because I was so sleepy, @@ -16312,13 +16312,13 @@ grouchi JONL noticed the resemblance to the Palo Alto store, but hadn't caught on. (The place is lit with red and yellow lights at night, and looks much different from the way it does in daylight.) He - said, "This isn't the Uncle Gaylord's I went to in Berkeley! It + said, This isn't the Uncle Gaylord's I went to in Berkeley! It looked like a barn! But this place looks *just like* the one back - in Palo Alto!" + in Palo Alto! - RPG deadpanned, "Well, this is the one *I* always come to when I'm + RPG deadpanned, Well, this is the one *I* always come to when I'm in Berkeley. They've got two in San Francisco, too. Remember, - they're a chain." + they're a chain. JONL accepted this bit of wisdom. And he was not totally ignorant --- he knew perfectly well that University Avenue was in Berkeley, @@ -16330,19 +16330,19 @@ grouchi evidently their standard procedure with that flavor, as not too many people like it. - JONL said, "I'm sure I like it. Just give me a cone." The guy + JONL said, I'm sure I like it. Just give me a cone. The guy behind the counter insisted that JONL try just a taste first. - "Some people think it tastes like soap." JONL insisted, "Look, I + Some people think it tastes like soap. JONL insisted, Look, I *love* ginger. I eat Chinese food. I eat raw ginger roots. I already went through this hassle with the guy back in Palo Alto. I - *know* I like that flavor!" + *know* I like that flavor! - At the words "back in Palo Alto" the guy behind the counter got a + At the words back in Palo Alto the guy behind the counter got a very strange look on his face, but said nothing. KBT caught his eye and winked. Through my stupor I still hadn't quite grasped what was going on, and thought RPG was rolling on the floor laughing and clutching his stomach just because JONL had launched - into his spiel ("makes rotten meat a dish for princes") for the + into his spiel (makes rotten meat a dish for princes) for the forty-third time. At this point, RPG clued me in fully. RPG, KBT, and I retreated to a table, trying to stifle our @@ -16350,22 +16350,22 @@ grouchi with the guy b.t.c., comparing Uncle Gaylord's to other ice cream shops and generally having a good old time. - At length the g.b.t.c. said, "How's the ginger honey?" JONL said, - "Fine! I wonder what exactly is in it?" Now Uncle Gaylord + At length the g.b.t.c. said, How's the ginger honey? JONL said, + Fine! I wonder what exactly is in it? Now Uncle Gaylord publishes all his recipes and even teaches classes on how to make his ice cream at home. So the g.b.t.c. got out the recipe, and he and JONL pored over it for a while. But the g.b.t.c. could contain - his curiosity no longer, and asked again, "You really like that - stuff, huh?" JONL said, "Yeah, I've been eating it constantly back + his curiosity no longer, and asked again, You really like that + stuff, huh? JONL said, Yeah, I've been eating it constantly back in Palo Alto for the past two days. In fact, I think this batch is - about as good as the cones I got back in Palo Alto!" + about as good as the cones I got back in Palo Alto! - G.b.t.c. looked him straight in the eye and said, "You're *in* Palo - Alto!" + G.b.t.c. looked him straight in the eye and said, You're *in* Palo + Alto! JONL turned slowly around, and saw the three of us collapse in a fit of giggles. He clapped a hand to his forehead and exclaimed, - "I've been hacked!" + I've been hacked! [My spies on the West Coast inform me that there is a close relative of the raspberry found out there called an `ollalieberry' --- ESR] @@ -16377,11 +16377,11 @@ grouchi gourmand and notorious flake case who originated numerous food myths. --- ESR] -:sagan: /say'gn/ [from Carl Sagan's TV series "Cosmos"; - think "billions and billions"] n. A large quantity of anything. - "There's a sagan different ways to tweak EMACS." "The +:sagan: /say'gn/ [from Carl Sagan's TV series Cosmos; + think billions and billions] n. A large quantity of anything. + There's a sagan different ways to tweak EMACS. The U.S. Government spends sagans on bombs and welfare --- hard to say - which is more destructive." + which is more destructive. :SAIL:: /sayl/, not /S-A-I-L/ n. 1. Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab. An important site in the early development of @@ -16434,7 +16434,7 @@ grouchi culture of samurai that meets electronically on BBS systems, mostly bright teenagers with personal micros; they have modeled themselves explicitly on the historical samurai of Japan and on the - "net cowboys" of William Gibson's {cyberpunk} novels. Those + net cowboys of William Gibson's {cyberpunk} novels. Those interviewed claim to adhere to a rigid ethic of loyalty to their employers and to disdain the vandalism and theft practiced by criminal crackers as beneath them and contrary to the hacker ethic; @@ -16471,8 +16471,8 @@ grouchi Such hacks are dangerously unreliable, but all too often sneak into a production release after insufficient review. -:say: vt. 1. To type to a terminal. "To list a directory - verbosely, you have to say `ls -l'." Tends to imply a +:say: vt. 1. To type to a terminal. To list a directory + verbosely, you have to say `ls -l'. Tends to imply a {newline}-terminated command (a `sentence'). 2. A computer may also be said to `say' things to you, even if it doesn't have a speech synthesizer, by displaying them on a terminal in response @@ -16480,8 +16480,8 @@ grouchi {mundane}s. :scag: vt. To destroy the data on a disk, either by corrupting the - filesystem or by causing media damage. "That last power hit scagged - the system disk." Compare {scrog}, {roach}. + filesystem or by causing media damage. That last power hit scagged + the system disk. Compare {scrog}, {roach}. :scanno: /skan'oh/ n. An error in a document caused by a scanner glitch, analogous to a typo or {thinko}. @@ -16525,8 +16525,8 @@ grouchi `scratch volume'. See {scratch monkey}. 2. [primarily IBM] vt. To delete (as in a file). -:scratch monkey: n. As in "Before testing or reconfiguring, always - mount a {scratch monkey}", a proverb used to advise caution +:scratch monkey: n. As in Before testing or reconfiguring, always + mount a {scratch monkey}, a proverb used to advise caution when dealing with irreplaceable data or devices. Used to refer to any scratch volume hooked to a computer during any risky operation as a replacement for some precious resource or data that might @@ -16545,7 +16545,7 @@ grouchi It is reported that, after calming down an understandably irate customer sufficiently to ascertain the facts of the matter, a DEC troubleshooter called up the {field circus} manager responsible - and asked him sweetly, "Can you swim?" + and asked him sweetly, Can you swim? Not all the consequences to humans were so amusing; the sysop of the machine in question was nearly thrown in jail at the behest of @@ -16569,7 +16569,7 @@ grouchi misconfiguration, misimplementation, or simple bad luck, acts as a source of an infinite number of random characters. A screaming tty or two can seriously degrade the performance of a vanilla UNIX - system; the arriving "characters" are treated as userid/password + system; the arriving characters are treated as userid/password pairs and tested as such. The UNIX password encryption algorithm is designed to be computationally intensive in order to foil brute-force crack attacks, so though none of the logins succeeds; @@ -16584,17 +16584,17 @@ grouchi inadequacy or a mere bug. :scribble: n. To modify a data structure in a random and - unintentionally destructive way. "Bletch! Somebody's + unintentionally destructive way. Bletch! Somebody's disk-compactor program went berserk and scribbled on the i-node - table." "It was working fine until one of the allocation routines - scribbled on low core." Synonymous with {trash}; compare {mung}, + table. It was working fine until one of the allocation routines + scribbled on low core. Synonymous with {trash}; compare {mung}, which conveys a bit more intention, and {mangle}, which is more violent and final. :scrog: /skrog/ [Bell Labs] vt. To damage, trash, or corrupt a - data structure. "The list header got scrogged." Also reported - as `skrog', and ascribed to the comic strip "The Wizard of - Id". Compare {scag}; possibly the two are related. Equivalent + data structure. The list header got scrogged. Also reported + as `skrog', and ascribed to the comic strip The Wizard of + Id. Compare {scag}; possibly the two are related. Equivalent to {scribble} or {mangle}. :scrool: /skrool/ [from the pioneering Roundtable chat system in @@ -16606,8 +16606,8 @@ grouchi terminal. :scrozzle: /skroz'l/ vt. Used when a self-modifying code segment runs - incorrectly and corrupts the running program or vital data. "The - damn compiler scrozzled itself again!" + incorrectly and corrupts the running program or vital data. The + damn compiler scrozzled itself again! :scruffies: n. See {neats vs. scruffies}. @@ -16656,7 +16656,7 @@ grouchi trashed due to a previous {fandango on core}. However, this fandango may have been due to an *earlier* fandango, so no amount of analysis will reveal (directly) how the damage occurred. - "The data structure was clobbered, but it was secondary damage." + The data structure was clobbered, but it was secondary damage. By extension, the corruption resulting from N cascaded fandangoes on core is `Nth-level damage'. There is at least @@ -16670,7 +16670,7 @@ grouchi with security holes --- namely, ignoring them and not documenting them and trusting that nobody will find out about them and that people who do find out about them won't exploit them. This - "strategy" never works for long and occasionally sets the world + strategy never works for long and occasionally sets the world up for debacles like the {RTM} worm of 1988 (see {Great Worm, the}), but once the brief moments of panic created by such events subside most vendors are all too willing to turn over and go back @@ -16728,12 +16728,12 @@ grouchi :selvage: /sel'v*j/ [from sewing] n. See {chad} (sense 1). :semi: /se'mee/ or /se'mi:/ 1. n. Abbreviation for - `semicolon', when speaking. "Commands to {grind} are - prefixed by semi-semi-star" means that the prefix is `;;*', + `semicolon', when speaking. Commands to {grind} are + prefixed by semi-semi-star means that the prefix is `;;*', not 1/4 of a star. 2. A prefix used with words such as - `immediately' as a qualifier. "When is the system coming up?" - "Semi-immediately." (That is, maybe not for an hour.) "We did - consider that possibility semi-seriously." See also + `immediately' as a qualifier. When is the system coming up? + Semi-immediately. (That is, maybe not for an hour.) We did + consider that possibility semi-seriously. See also {infinite}. :semi-infinite: n. See {infinite}. @@ -16833,13 +16833,13 @@ grouchi This sort of program is also called a `wrapper'. :shell out: [UNIX] n. To spawn an interactive subshell from within - a program (e.g., a mailer or editor). "Bang foo runs foo in a - subshell, while bang alone shells out." + a program (e.g., a mailer or editor). Bang foo runs foo in a + subshell, while bang alone shells out. :shift left (or right) logical: [from any of various machines' instruction sets] 1. vi. To move oneself to the left (right). To - move out of the way. 2. imper. "Get out of that (my) seat! You - can shift to that empty one to the left (right)." Often + move out of the way. 2. imper. Get out of that (my) seat! You + can shift to that empty one to the left (right). Often used without the `logical', or as `left shift' instead of `shift left'. Sometimes heard as LSH /lish/, from the {PDP-10} instruction set. See {Programmer's Cheer}. @@ -16886,9 +16886,9 @@ grouchi MUDders worships Shub-Internet, sacrificing objects and praying for good connections. To no avail --- its purpose is malign and evil, and is the cause of all network slowdown. Often heard as in - "Freela casts a tac nuke at Shub-Internet for slowing her down." + Freela casts a tac nuke at Shub-Internet for slowing her down. (A forged response often follows along the lines of: - "Shub-Internet gulps down the tac nuke and burps happily.") Also + Shub-Internet gulps down the tac nuke and burps happily.) Also cursed by users of {FTP} and {telnet} when the system slows down. The dread name of Shub-Internet is seldom spoken aloud, as it is said that repeating it three times will cause the being to @@ -16925,12 +16925,12 @@ grouchi :sig quote: /sig kwoht/ [USENET] n. A maxim, quote, proverb, joke, or slogan embedded in one's {sig block} and intended to convey something of one's philosophical stance, pet peeves, or sense of - humor. "Calm down, it's only ones and zeroes." + humor. Calm down, it's only ones and zeroes. :sig virus: n. A parasitic {meme} embedded in a {sig block}. There was a {meme plague} or fad for these on USENET in late - 1991. Most were equivalents of "I am a .sig virus. Please reproduce - me in your .sig block.". Of course, the .sig virus's memetic hook + 1991. Most were equivalents of I am a .sig virus. Please reproduce + me in your .sig block.. Of course, the .sig virus's memetic hook is the giggle value of going along with the gag; this, however, was a self-limiting phenomenon as more and more people picked up on the idea. There were creative variants on it; some people @@ -16953,8 +16953,8 @@ grouchi :silly walk: [from Monty Python's Flying Circus] vi. 1. A ridiculous procedure required to accomplish a task. Like {grovel}, but more - {random} and humorous. "I had to silly-walk through half the - /usr directories to find the maps file." 2. Syn. {fandango on + {random} and humorous. I had to silly-walk through half the + /usr directories to find the maps file. 2. Syn. {fandango on core}. :silo: n. The FIFO input-character buffer in an RS-232 line card. So @@ -16987,7 +16987,7 @@ grouchi characters, animal names, and allusions to SF or fantasy literature are probably the most popular sources for sitenames (in roughly descending order). The obligatory comment when discussing these is - Harris's Lament: "All the good ones are taken!" See also + Harris's Lament: All the good ones are taken! See also {network address}. :skrog: v. Syn. {scrog}. @@ -17001,8 +17001,8 @@ grouchi prerequisite of all human happiness. Since UNIX files are stored compactly, except for the unavoidable - wastage in the last block or fragment, it might be said that "Unix - has no slack". See {ha ha only serious}. + wastage in the last block or fragment, it might be said that Unix + has no slack. See {ha ha only serious}. :slap on the side: n. (also called a {sidecar}, or abbreviated `SOTS'.) A type of external expansion hardware marketed by @@ -17020,9 +17020,9 @@ grouchi sleep'. 2. In jargon, used very similarly to v. {block}; also in `sleep on', syn. with `block on'. Often used to indicate that the speaker has relinquished a demand for resources - until some (possibly unspecified) external event: "They can't get + until some (possibly unspecified) external event: They can't get the fix I've been asking for into the next release, so I'm going to - sleep on it until the release, then start hassling them again." + sleep on it until the release, then start hassling them again. :slim: n. A small, derivative change (e.g., to code). @@ -17055,8 +17055,8 @@ grouchi :slurp: vt. To read a large data file entirely into {core} before working on it. This may be contrasted with the strategy of reading a small piece at a time, processing it, and then reading the next - piece. "This program slurps in a 1K-by-1K matrix and does - an FFT." See also {sponge}. + piece. This program slurps in a 1K-by-1K matrix and does + an FFT. See also {sponge}. :smart: adj. Said of a program that does the {Right Thing} in a wide variety of complicated circumstances. There is a difference @@ -17080,8 +17080,8 @@ grouchi terminal}. There is a classic quote from Rob Pike (inventor of the {blit} - terminal): "A smart terminal is not a smart*ass* terminal, - but rather a terminal you can educate." This illustrates a common + terminal): A smart terminal is not a smart*ass* terminal, + but rather a terminal you can educate. This illustrates a common design problem: The attempt to make peripherals (or anything else) intelligent sometimes results in finicky, rigid `special features' that become just so much dead weight if you try to use @@ -17090,8 +17090,8 @@ grouchi Compare {hook}. :smash case: vi. To lose or obliterate the uppercase/lowercase - distinction in text input. "MS-DOS will automatically smash case - in the names of all the files you create." Compare {fold case}. + distinction in text input. MS-DOS will automatically smash case + in the names of all the files you create. Compare {fold case}. :smash the stack: [C programming] n. On many C implementations it is possible to corrupt the execution stack by writing past the end @@ -17107,21 +17107,21 @@ grouchi :smiley: n. See {emoticon}. -:smoke: 1. vi. To {crash}, blow up, usually spectacularly. "The - new version smoked, just like the last one." Used for both hardware +:smoke: 1. vi. To {crash}, blow up, usually spectacularly. The + new version smoked, just like the last one. Used for both hardware (where it often describes an actual physical event), and software (where it's merely colorful). 2. vi. [from automotive slang] To be - conspicuously fast. "That processor really smokes." + conspicuously fast. That processor really smokes. :smoke and mirrors: n. Marketing deceptions. The term is mainstream in this general sense. Among hackers it's strongly associated with bogus demos and crocked {benchmark}s (see also - {MIPS}, {machoflops}). "They claim their new box cranks 50 + {MIPS}, {machoflops}). They claim their new box cranks 50 MIPS for under $5000, but didn't specify the instruction mix --- - sounds like smoke and mirrors to me." The phrase has been said to + sounds like smoke and mirrors to me. The phrase has been said to derive from carnie slang for magic acts and `freak show' displays that depend on `trompe l'oeil' effects, but also calls to mind - the fierce Aztec god Tezcatlipoca (lit. "Smoking Mirror") for + the fierce Aztec god Tezcatlipoca (lit. Smoking Mirror) for whom the hearts of huge numbers of human sacrificial victims were regularly cut out. Upon hearing about a rigged demo or yet another round of fantasy-based marketing promises, hackers often feel @@ -17158,8 +17158,8 @@ grouchi trouble. Also used ironically to imply that a difficult problem can be easily solved because a program can be written to do it; the irony is that it is very clear that writing such a program will be - a great deal of work. "It's easy to enhance a FORTRAN compiler to - compile COBOL as well; it's just an SMOP." 2. Often used + a great deal of work. It's easy to enhance a FORTRAN compiler to + compile COBOL as well; it's just an SMOP. 2. Often used ironically by the intended victim when a suggestion for a program is made which seems easy to the suggester, but is obviously (to the victim) a lot of work. @@ -17174,10 +17174,10 @@ grouchi irony. Compare {old fart}. :SNAFU principle: /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [from a WWII Army - ac-ro-nym for `Situation Normal, All Fucked Up'] n. "True + ac-ro-nym for `Situation Normal, All Fucked Up'] n. True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant - lies than for telling the truth." --- a central tenet of + lies than for telling the truth. --- a central tenet of {Discordianism}, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of @@ -17194,50 +17194,50 @@ grouchi was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: - "It is a crock of shit, - and smells as of a sewer." + It is a crock of shit, + and smells as of a sewer. And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: - "It is a crock of excrement, - and none may abide the odor thereof." + It is a crock of excrement, + and none may abide the odor thereof. And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: - "It is a container of excrement, - and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." + It is a container of excrement, + and it is very strong, such that none may abide it. The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: - "It is a vessel of fertilizer, - and none may abide its strength." + It is a vessel of fertilizer, + and none may abide its strength. The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: - "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, - and it is very strong." + It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, + and it is very strong. And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. - "It promoteth growth, - and it is very powerful." + It promoteth growth, + and it is very powerful. The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: - "This powerful new software product - will promote the growth of the company!" + This powerful new software product + will promote the growth of the company! And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the {suit}s protect themselves by - saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or + saying I was misinformed!, and the implementors are demoted or fired. -:snail: vt. To {snail-mail} something. "Snail me a copy of those - graphics, will you?" +:snail: vt. To {snail-mail} something. Snail me a copy of those + graphics, will you? :snail-mail: n. Paper mail, as opposed to electronic. Sometimes written as the single word `SnailMail'. One's postal address is, @@ -17273,16 +17273,16 @@ grouchi fetch a file or set of files across a network. See also {blast}. This term was mainstream in the late 1960s, meaning `to eat piggishly'. It may still have this connotation in - context. "He's in the snarfing phase of hacking --- {FTP}ing - megs of stuff a day." 3. To acquire, with little concern for - legal forms or politesse (but not quite by stealing). "They - were giving away samples, so I snarfed a bunch of them." - 4. Syn. for {slurp}. "This program starts by snarfing the - entire database into core, then...." 5. [GEnie] To spray + context. He's in the snarfing phase of hacking --- {FTP}ing + megs of stuff a day. 3. To acquire, with little concern for + legal forms or politesse (but not quite by stealing). They + were giving away samples, so I snarfed a bunch of them. + 4. Syn. for {slurp}. This program starts by snarfing the + entire database into core, then.... 5. [GEnie] To spray food or {programming fluid}s due to laughing at the wrong - moment. "I was drinking coffee, and when I read your post I - snarfed all over my desk." "If I keep reading this topic, I think - I'll have to snarf-proof my computer with a keyboard {condom}." + moment. I was drinking coffee, and when I read your post I + snarfed all over my desk. If I keep reading this topic, I think + I'll have to snarf-proof my computer with a keyboard {condom}. [This sense appears to be widespread among mundane teenagers --- ESR] @@ -17294,13 +17294,13 @@ grouchi expedition. :snarf down: v. To {snarf}, with the connotation of absorbing, - processing, or understanding. "I'll snarf down the latest + processing, or understanding. I'll snarf down the latest version of the {nethack} user's guide --- It's been a while - since I played last and I don't know what's changed recently." + since I played last and I don't know what's changed recently. :snark: [Lewis Carroll, via the Michigan Terminal System] n. 1. A system failure. When a user's process bombed, the operator would - get the message "Help, Help, Snark in MTS!" 2. More generally, + get the message Help, Help, Snark in MTS! 2. More generally, any kind of unexplained or threatening event on a computer (especially if it might be a boojum). Often used to refer to an event or a log file entry that might indicate an attempted security @@ -17311,8 +17311,8 @@ grouchi :sneakernet: /snee'ker-net/ n. Term used (generally with ironic intent) for transfer of electronic information by physically carrying tape, disks, or some other media from one machine to - another. "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon - filled with magtape, or a 747 filled with CD-ROMs." Also called + another. Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon + filled with magtape, or a 747 filled with CD-ROMs. Also called `Tennis-Net', `Armpit-Net', `Floppy-Net' or `Shoenet'. :sniff: v.,n. Synonym for {poll}. @@ -17389,9 +17389,9 @@ grouchi the R1; see {grind crank}). If a program that depended on a peculiar instruction hadn't been run in quite a while, the user might discover that the opcodes no longer did the same things they - once did. ("Hey, so-and-so needs an instruction to do + once did. (Hey, so-and-so needs an instruction to do such-and-such. We can {snarf} this opcode, right? No one uses - it.") + it.) Another classic example of this sprang from the time an MIT hacker found a simple way to double the speed of the unconditional jump @@ -17405,19 +17405,19 @@ grouchi Compare {bit rot}. :softwarily: /soft-weir'i-lee/ adv. In a way pertaining to software. - "The system is softwarily unreliable." The adjective + The system is softwarily unreliable. The adjective `softwary' is *not* used. See {hardwarily}. :softy: [IBM] n. Hardware hackers' term for a software expert who is largely ignorant of the mysteries of hardware. :some random X: adj. Used to indicate a member of class X, with the - implication that Xs are interchangeable. "I think some random - cracker tripped over the guest timeout last night." See also + implication that Xs are interchangeable. I think some random + cracker tripped over the guest timeout last night. See also {J. Random}. :sorcerer's apprentice mode: [from Friedrich Schiller's `Der - Zauberlehrling' via the film "Fantasia"] n. A bug in a + Zauberlehrling' via the film Fantasia] n. A bug in a protocol where, under some circumstances, the receipt of a message causes multiple messages to be sent, each of which, when received, triggers the same bug. Used esp. of such behavior caused by @@ -17494,7 +17494,7 @@ grouchi true space-cadet keyboard evolved from the Knight keyboard. :SPACEWAR: n. A space-combat simulation game, inspired by - E. E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" books, in which two spaceships + E. E. Doc Smith's Lensman books, in which two spaceships duel around a central sun, shooting torpedoes at each other and jumping through hyperspace. This game was first implemented on the PDP-1 at MIT in 1960--61. SPACEWAR aficionados formed the core of @@ -17536,7 +17536,7 @@ grouchi system is mostly idle; the speedometer slows down as the system becomes overloaded. The speedometer on Sun Microsystems hardware bounces back and forth like the eyes on one of the Cylons from the - wretched "Battlestar Galactica" TV series. + wretched Battlestar Galactica TV series. Historical note: One computer, the GE 600 (later Honeywell 6000) actually had an *analog* speedometer on the front panel, @@ -17552,8 +17552,8 @@ grouchi *any* correction is a spelling flame. :spiffy: /spi'fee/ adj. 1. Said of programs having a pretty, - clever, or exceptionally well-designed interface. "Have you seen - the spiffy {X} version of {empire} yet?" 2. Said + clever, or exceptionally well-designed interface. Have you seen + the spiffy {X} version of {empire} yet? 2. Said sarcastically of a program that is perceived to have little more than a flashy interface going for it. Which meaning should be drawn depends delicately on tone of voice and context. This word @@ -17577,9 +17577,9 @@ grouchi traditional UNIX kernels implement mutual exclusion by running code at high interrupt levels. Used in jargon to describe the act of tuning in or tuning out ordinary communication. Classically, spl - levels run from 1 to 7; "Fred's at spl 6 today." would mean - that he is very hard to interrupt. "Wait till I finish this; I'll - spl down then." See also {interrupts locked out}. + levels run from 1 to 7; Fred's at spl 6 today. would mean + that he is very hard to interrupt. Wait till I finish this; I'll + spl down then. See also {interrupts locked out}. :splash screen: [Mac] n. Syn. {banner}, sense 3. @@ -17611,11 +17611,11 @@ grouchi knowledge of or interest in how networks work, and considering his access a God-given right, he is a major irritant to sysadmins, clogging up lines in order to reach new MUDs, following passed-on - instructions on how to sneak his way onto Internet ("Wow! It's in - America!") and complaining when he is not allowed to use busy - routes. A true spod will start any conversation with "Are you - male or female?" (and follow it up with "Got any good - numbers/IDs/passwords?") and will not talk to someone physically + instructions on how to sneak his way onto Internet (Wow! It's in + America!) and complaining when he is not allowed to use busy + routes. A true spod will start any conversation with Are you + male or female? (and follow it up with Got any good + numbers/IDs/passwords?) and will not talk to someone physically present in the same terminal room until they log onto the same machine that he is using and enter talk mode. Compare {newbie}, {tourist}, {weenie}, {twink}, {terminal junkie}. @@ -17664,12 +17664,12 @@ grouchi :stack: n. A person's stack is the set of things he or she has to do in the future. One speaks of the next project to be attacked as - having risen to the top of the stack. "I'm afraid I've got real - work to do, so this'll have to be pushed way down on my stack." - "I haven't done it yet because every time I pop my stack something - new gets pushed." If you are interrupted several times in the - middle of a conversation, "My stack overflowed" means "I - forget what we were talking about." The implication is that more + having risen to the top of the stack. I'm afraid I've got real + work to do, so this'll have to be pushed way down on my stack. + I haven't done it yet because every time I pop my stack something + new gets pushed. If you are interrupted several times in the + middle of a conversation, My stack overflowed means I + forget what we were talking about. The implication is that more items were pushed onto the stack than could be remembered, so the least recent items were lost. The usual physical example of a stack is to be found in a cafeteria: a pile of plates or trays @@ -17686,7 +17686,7 @@ grouchi Many people who realized the importance of stacks and queues independently have given other names to these structures: stacks have been called push-down lists, reversion storages, - cellars, nesting stores, piles, last-in-first-out ("LIFO") + cellars, nesting stores, piles, last-in-first-out (LIFO) lists, and even yo-yo lists! :stack puke: n. Some processor architectures are said to `puke their @@ -17698,17 +17698,17 @@ grouchi :stale pointer bug: n. Synonym for {aliasing bug} used esp. among microcomputer hackers. -:state: n. 1. Condition, situation. "What's the state of your - latest hack?" "It's winning away." "The system tried to read +:state: n. 1. Condition, situation. What's the state of your + latest hack? It's winning away. The system tried to read and write the disk simultaneously and got into a totally {wedged} - state." The standard question "What's your state?" means - "What are you doing?" or "What are you about to do?" Typical - answers are "about to gronk out", or "hungry". Another - standard question is "What's the state of the world?", meaning - "What's new?" or "What's going on?". The more terse and - humorous way of asking these questions would be "State-p?". + state. The standard question What's your state? means + What are you doing? or What are you about to do? Typical + answers are about to gronk out, or hungry. Another + standard question is What's the state of the world?, meaning + What's new? or What's going on?. The more terse and + humorous way of asking these questions would be State-p?. Another way of phrasing the first question under sense 1 would be - "state-p latest hack?". 2. Information being maintained in + state-p latest hack?. 2. Information being maintained in non-permanent memory (electronic or human). :steam-powered: adj. Old-fashioned or underpowered; archaic. This @@ -17728,8 +17728,8 @@ grouchi chicken}}, {{oriental food}}; see also {mumble}. :stomp on: vt. To inadvertently overwrite something important, usually - automatically. "All the work I did this weekend got - stomped on last night by the nightly server script." Compare + automatically. All the work I did this weekend got + stomped on last night by the nightly server script. Compare {scribble}, {mangle}, {trash}, {scrog}, {roach}. :Stone Age: n., adj. 1. In computer folklore, an ill-defined period @@ -17745,18 +17745,18 @@ grouchi were there for the {Stone Age} (sense 1). :stone knives and bearskins: [ITS, prob. from the Star Trek Classic - episode "The City on the Edge of Forever"] n. A term + episode The City on the Edge of Forever] n. A term traditionally used by {ITS} fans to describe (and deprecate) computing environments they regard as less advanced, with the (often correct) implication that said environments were grotesquely primitive in light of what is known about good ways to design - things. As in "Don't get too used to the facilities here. Once + things. As in Don't get too used to the facilities here. Once you leave MIT it's stone knives and bearskins as far as the eye can - see". Compare {steam-powered}. + see. Compare {steam-powered}. :stoppage: /sto'p*j/ n. Extreme {lossage} that renders - something (usually something vital) completely unusable. "The - recent system stoppage was caused by a {fried} transformer." + something (usually something vital) completely unusable. The + recent system stoppage was caused by a {fried} transformer. :store: [prob. from techspeak `main store'] n. In some varieties of Commonwealth hackish, the referred synonym for @@ -17780,8 +17780,8 @@ grouchi oRigiN and SigNificaNce of thIs pRacTicE iS oBscuRe. :stunning: adj. Mind-bogglingly stupid. Usually used in sarcasm. - "You want to code *what* in ADA? That's ... a stunning - idea!" + You want to code *what* in ADA? That's ... a stunning + idea! :stupid-sort: n. Syn. {bogo-sort}. @@ -17795,10 +17795,10 @@ grouchi majority of `Stupids', and a minority of `Tweens', the merely ordinary geniuses. -:Sturgeon's Law: prov. "Ninety percent of everything is crap". Derived +:Sturgeon's Law: prov. Ninety percent of everything is crap. Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once - said, "Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of - everything is crud." Oddly, when Sturgeon's Law is cited, the + said, Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of + everything is crud. Oddly, when Sturgeon's Law is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to `crap'. Compare {Hanlon's Razor}. Though this maxim originated in SF fandom, most hackers recognize it and are all too aware of its truth. @@ -17806,9 +17806,9 @@ grouchi :sucking mud: [Applied Data Research] adj. (also `pumping mud') Crashed or {wedged}. Usually said of a machine that provides some service to a network, such as a file server. This Dallas - regionalism derives from the East Texas oilfield lament, "Shut - 'er down, Ma, she's a-suckin' mud". Often used as a query. "We - are going to reconfigure the network, are you ready to suck mud?" + regionalism derives from the East Texas oilfield lament, Shut + 'er down, Ma, she's a-suckin' mud. Often used as a query. We + are going to reconfigure the network, are you ready to suck mud? :sufficiently small: adj. Syn. {suitably small}. @@ -17830,9 +17830,9 @@ grouchi expression used ironically to characterize unquantifiable behavior that differs from expected or required behavior. For example, suppose a newly created program came up with a correct - full-screen display, and one publicly exclaimed: "It works!" + full-screen display, and one publicly exclaimed: It works! Then, if the program dumps core on the first mouse click, one might - add: "Well, for suitably small values of `works'." Compare + add: Well, for suitably small values of `works'. Compare the characterization of pi under {{random numbers}}. :sun lounge: [Great Britain] n. The room where all the Sun @@ -17846,8 +17846,8 @@ grouchi misfeatures. {X}, however, is larger and slower; see {second-system effect}. -:sunspots: n. 1. Notional cause of an odd error. "Why did the - program suddenly turn the screen blue?" "Sunspots, I guess." +:sunspots: n. 1. Notional cause of an odd error. Why did the + program suddenly turn the screen blue? Sunspots, I guess. 2. Also the cause of {bit rot} --- from the myth that sunspots will increase {cosmic rays}, which can flip single bits in memory. See {cosmic rays}, {phase of the moon}. @@ -17906,17 +17906,17 @@ grouchi for an exam might be spoken of as swapping in. If you temporarily forget someone's name, but then remember it, your excuse is that it was swapped out. To `keep something swapped in' means to keep it - fresh in your memory: "I reread the TECO manual every few months - to keep it swapped in." If someone interrupts you just as you got - a good idea, you might say "Wait a moment while I swap this - out", implying that the piece of paper is your extra-somatic + fresh in your memory: I reread the TECO manual every few months + to keep it swapped in. If someone interrupts you just as you got + a good idea, you might say Wait a moment while I swap this + out, implying that the piece of paper is your extra-somatic memory and if you don't swap the info out by writing it down it will get overwritten and lost as you talk. Compare {page in}, {page out}. :swap space: n. Storage space, especially temporary storage space - used during a move or reconfiguration. "I'm just using that corner - of the machine room for swap space." + used during a move or reconfiguration. I'm just using that corner + of the machine room for swap space. :swapped in: n. See {swap}. See also {page in}. @@ -17955,8 +17955,8 @@ grouchi {chrome}). Used esp. when there is an obvious and trivial translation of the `sugar' feature into other constructs already present in the notation. C's `a[i]' notation is syntactic - sugar for `*(a + i)'. "Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the - semicolon." --- Alan Perlis. + sugar for `*(a + i)'. Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the + semicolon. --- Alan Perlis. The variants `syntactic saccharin' and `syntactic syrup' are also recorded. These denotes something even more gratuitous, in @@ -18048,7 +18048,7 @@ grouchi are you busy? (expects `ACK' or `NAK' in return) FOO? are you there? (often used on unexpected links, meaning also - "Sorry if I butted in ..." (linker) or "What's up?" (linkee)) + Sorry if I butted in ... (linker) or What's up? (linkee)) FWIW for what it's worth FYI @@ -18073,7 +18073,7 @@ grouchi OO over and out / - another form of "over to you" (from x/y as "x over y") + another form of over to you (from x/y as x over y) \ lambda (used in discussing LISPy things) OBTW @@ -18089,7 +18089,7 @@ grouchi TNX 1.0E6 thanks a million (humorous) TNXE6 - another form of "thanks a million" + another form of thanks a million WRT with regard to, or with respect to. WTF @@ -18186,7 +18186,7 @@ grouchi OTT over the top (excessive, uncalled for) ppl - abbrev for "people" + abbrev for people THX thanks (mutant of `TNX'; clearly this comes in batches of 1138 (the Lucasian K)). @@ -18205,7 +18205,7 @@ grouchi error and backs up to fix it. It is usually best just to leave typographical errors behind and plunge forward, unless severe confusion may result; in that case it is often fastest just to type - "xxx" and start over from before the mistake. + xxx and start over from before the mistake. See also {hakspek}, {emoticon}, {bonk/oif}. @@ -18222,15 +18222,15 @@ grouchi :tanked: adj. Same as {down}, used primarily by UNIX hackers. See also {hosed}. Popularized as a synonym for `drunk' by Steve - Dallas in the late lamented "Bloom County" comic strip. + Dallas in the late lamented Bloom County comic strip. :TANSTAAFL: /tan'sto-fl/ [acronym, from Robert Heinlein's - classic `The Moon is a Harsh Mistress'.] "There Ain't No - Such Thing As A Free Lunch", often invoked when someone is balking + classic `The Moon is a Harsh Mistress'.] There Ain't No + Such Thing As A Free Lunch, often invoked when someone is balking at an ugly design requirement or the prospect of using an - unpleasantly {heavyweight} technique. "What? Don't tell me I + unpleasantly {heavyweight} technique. What? Don't tell me I have to implement a database back end to get my address book - program to work!" "Well, TANSTAAFL you know." This phrase owes + program to work! Well, TANSTAAFL you know. This phrase owes some of its popularity to the high concentration of science-fiction fans and political libertarians in hackerdom (see Appendix B). @@ -18247,7 +18247,7 @@ grouchi :taste: [primarily MIT] n. 1. The quality in a program that tends to be inversely proportional to the number of features, hacks, and kluges programmed into it. Also `tasty', `tasteful', - `tastefulness'. "This feature comes in N tasty flavors." + `tastefulness'. This feature comes in N tasty flavors. Although `tasteful' and `flavorful' are essentially synonyms, `taste' and {flavor} are not. Taste refers to sound judgment on the part of the creator; a program or feature @@ -18341,10 +18341,10 @@ grouchi also {retrocomputing}, {write-only language}. :tee: n.,vt. [Purdue] A carbon copy of an electronic transmission. - "Oh, you're sending him the {bits} to that? Slap on a tee for - me." From the UNIX command `tee(1)', itself named after a + Oh, you're sending him the {bits} to that? Slap on a tee for + me. From the UNIX command `tee(1)', itself named after a pipe fitting (see {plumbing}). Can also mean `save one for me', - as in "Tee a slice for me!" Also spelled `T'. + as in Tee a slice for me! Also spelled `T'. :teledildonics: /tel`*-dil-do'-niks/ n. Sex in a computer simulated virtual reality, esp. computer-mediated sexual @@ -18352,9 +18352,9 @@ grouchi practice is not yet possible except in the rather limited form of erotic conversation on {MUD}s and the like. The term, however, is widely recognized in the VR community as a {ha ha only - serious} projection of things to come. "When we can sustain a + serious} projection of things to come. When we can sustain a multi-sensory surround good enough for teledildonics, *then* - we'll know we're getting somewhere." + we'll know we're getting somewhere. :Telerat: /tel'*-rat/ n. Unflattering hackerism for `Teleray', a line of extremely losing terminals. Compare {AIDX}, {terminak}, @@ -18364,8 +18364,8 @@ grouchi :TELNET: /tel'net/ vt. To communicate with another Internet host using the {TELNET} protocol (usually using a program of the same name). TOPS-10 people used the word IMPCOM, since that was the - program name for them. Sometimes abbreviated to TN /T-N/. "I - usually TN over to SAIL just to read the AP News." + program name for them. Sometimes abbreviated to TN /T-N/. I + usually TN over to SAIL just to read the AP News. :ten-finger interface: n. The interface between two networks that cannot be directly connected for security reasons; refers to the @@ -18375,8 +18375,8 @@ grouchi :tense: adj. Of programs, very clever and efficient. A tense piece of code often got that way because it was highly {bum}med, but sometimes it was just based on a great idea. A comment in a clever - routine by Mike Kazar, once a grad-student hacker at CMU: "This - routine is so tense it will bring tears to your eyes." A tense + routine by Mike Kazar, once a grad-student hacker at CMU: This + routine is so tense it will bring tears to your eyes. A tense programmer is one who produces tense code. :tenured graduate student: n. One who has been in graduate school @@ -18400,7 +18400,7 @@ grouchi malfunctioning computer terminal. A common failure mode of Lear-Siegler ADM 3a terminals caused the `L' key to produce the `K' code instead; complaints about this tended to look like - "Terminak #3 has a bad keyboard. Pkease fix." See {AIDX}, + Terminak #3 has a bad keyboard. Pkease fix. See {AIDX}, {Nominal Semidestructor}, {Open DeathTrap}, {ScumOS}, {sun-stools}, {Telerat}, {HP-SUX}. @@ -18475,8 +18475,8 @@ grouchi portion shared between multiple instances of a program running in a multitasking OS (compare {English}). 2. Textual material in the mainstream sense; data in ordinary {{ASCII}} or {{EBCDIC}} - representation (see {flat-ASCII}). "Those are text files; - you can review them using the editor." These two contradictory + representation (see {flat-ASCII}). Those are text files; + you can review them using the editor. These two contradictory senses confuse hackers, too. :thanks in advance: [USENET] Conventional net.politeness ending a @@ -18492,8 +18492,8 @@ grouchi :the X that can be Y is not the true X: Yet another instance of hackerdom's peculiar attraction to mystical references --- a common humorous way of making exclusive statements about a class of - things. The template is from the `Tao te Ching': "The - Tao which can be spoken of is not the true Tao." The implication + things. The template is from the `Tao te Ching': The + Tao which can be spoken of is not the true Tao. The implication is often that the X is a mystery accessible only to the enlightened. See the {trampoline} entry for an example, and compare {has the X nature}. @@ -18508,11 +18508,11 @@ grouchi :theory: n. The consensus, idea, plan, story, or set of rules that is currently being used to inform a behavior. This is a - generalization and abuse of the technical meaning. "What's the - theory on fixing this TECO loss?" "What's the theory on dinner - tonight?" ("Chinatown, I guess.") "What's the current theory - on letting lusers on during the day?" "The theory behind this - change is to fix the following well-known screw...." + generalization and abuse of the technical meaning. What's the + theory on fixing this TECO loss? What's the theory on dinner + tonight? (Chinatown, I guess.) What's the current theory + on letting lusers on during the day? The theory behind this + change is to fix the following well-known screw.... :thinko: /thing'koh/ [by analogy with `typo'] n. A momentary, correctable glitch in mental processing, especially one involving @@ -18526,9 +18526,9 @@ grouchi during protracted debugging sessions involving numerous small obstacles (e.g., attempts to bring up a UUCP connection). For the proper effect, this must be uttered in a fruity imitation of - Bullwinkle J. Moose. Also heard: "Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a - rabbit out of my hat!" The {canonical} response is, of course, - "But that trick *never* works!" See {{Humor, Hacker}}. + Bullwinkle J. Moose. Also heard: Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a + rabbit out of my hat! The {canonical} response is, of course, + But that trick *never* works! See {{Humor, Hacker}}. :thrash: vi. To move wildly or violently, without accomplishing anything useful. Paging or swapping systems that are overloaded @@ -18559,8 +18559,8 @@ grouchi because moving it allows you to browse through the contents of a text window in a way analogous to thumbing through a book. -:thunk: /thuhnk/ n. 1. "A piece of coding which provides an - address", according to P. Z. Ingerman, who invented thunks +:thunk: /thuhnk/ n. 1. A piece of coding which provides an + address, according to P. Z. Ingerman, who invented thunks in 1961 as a way of binding actual parameters to their formal definitions in Algol-60 procedure calls. If a procedure is called with an expression in the place of a formal parameter, the compiler @@ -18572,9 +18572,9 @@ grouchi unfreezing these thunks is called `forcing'. 3. A {stubroutine}, in an overlay programming environment, that loads and jumps to the correct overlay. Compare {trampoline}. - 4. People and activities scheduled in a thunklike manner. "It + 4. People and activities scheduled in a thunklike manner. It occurred to me the other day that I am rather accurately modeled by - a thunk --- I frequently need to be forced to completion." --- + a thunk --- I frequently need to be forced to completion. --- paraphrased from a {plan file}. Historical note: There are a couple of onomatopoeic myths @@ -18588,7 +18588,7 @@ grouchi figured out in advance with a little compile-time thought, simplifying the evaluation machinery. In other words, it had `already been thought of'; thus it was christened a `thunk', - which is "the past tense of `think' at two in the morning". + which is the past tense of `think' at two in the morning. :tick: n. 1. A {jiffy} (sense 1). 2. In simulations, the discrete unit of time that passes between iterations of the @@ -18607,16 +18607,16 @@ grouchi phrase has not been reported. :tickle a bug: vt. To cause a normally hidden bug to manifest - through some known series of inputs or operations. "You can + through some known series of inputs or operations. You can tickle the bug in the Paradise VGA card's highlight handling by - trying to set bright yellow reverse video." + trying to set bright yellow reverse video. :tiger team: [U.S. military jargon] n. 1. Originally, a team whose purpose is to penetrate security, and thus test security measures. These people are paid professionals who do hacker-type tricks, - e.g., leave cardboard signs saying "bomb" in critical defense - installations, hand-lettered notes saying "Your codebooks have - been stolen" (they usually haven't been) inside safes, etc. After + e.g., leave cardboard signs saying bomb in critical defense + installations, hand-lettered notes saying Your codebooks have + been stolen (they usually haven't been) inside safes, etc. After a successful penetration, some high-ranking security type shows up the next morning for a `security review' and finds the sign, note, etc., and all hell breaks loose. Serious successes of tiger @@ -18654,10 +18654,10 @@ grouchi :time T: /ti:m T/ n. 1. An unspecified but usually well-understood time, often used in conjunction with a later time T+1. - "We'll meet on campus at time T or at Louie's at - time T+1" means, in the context of going out for dinner: - "We can meet on campus and go to Louie's, or we can meet at Louie's - itself a bit later." (Louie's was a Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto + We'll meet on campus at time T or at Louie's at + time T+1 means, in the context of going out for dinner: + We can meet on campus and go to Louie's, or we can meet at Louie's + itself a bit later. (Louie's was a Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto that was a favorite with hackers.) Had the number 30 been used instead of the number 1, it would have implied that the travel time from campus to Louie's is 30 minutes; whatever time T is (and @@ -18698,12 +18698,12 @@ grouchi `SFLA' (Stupid Four-Letter Acronym) has also been reported. See also {YABA}. - The self-effacing phrase "TDM TLA" (Too Damn Many...) is + The self-effacing phrase TDM TLA (Too Damn Many...) is often used to bemoan the plethora of TLAs in use. In 1989, a random of the journalistic persuasion asked hacker Paul Boutin - "What do you think will be the biggest problem in computing in - the 90s?" Paul's straight-faced response: "There are only - 17,000 three-letter acronyms." (To be exact, there are 26^3 + What do you think will be the biggest problem in computing in + the 90s? Paul's straight-faced response: There are only + 17,000 three-letter acronyms. (To be exact, there are 26^3 = 17,576.) :TMRC: /tmerk'/ n. The Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT, one of @@ -18746,7 +18746,7 @@ grouchi one can write an algorithm that converges more quickly to the correct result. 2. In jargon, a preface to any comment that indicates that the comment is only approximately true. The remark - "To a first approximation, I feel good" might indicate that + To a first approximation, I feel good might indicate that deeper questioning would reveal that not all is perfect (e.g., a nagging cough still remains after an illness). @@ -18755,22 +18755,22 @@ grouchi {social science number}. :toast: 1. n. Any completely inoperable system or component, esp. - one that has just crashed and burned: "Uh, oh ... I think the - serial board is toast." 2. vt. To cause a system to crash + one that has just crashed and burned: Uh, oh ... I think the + serial board is toast. 2. vt. To cause a system to crash accidentally, especially in a manner that requires manual - rebooting. "Rick just toasted the {firewall machine} again." + rebooting. Rick just toasted the {firewall machine} again. :toaster: n. 1. The archetypal really stupid application for an embedded microprocessor controller; often used in comments that imply that a scheme is inappropriate technology (but see - {elevator controller}). "{DWIM} for an assembler? That'd be - as silly as running UNIX on your toaster!" 2. A very, very dumb - computer. "You could run this program on any dumb toaster." See + {elevator controller}). {DWIM} for an assembler? That'd be + as silly as running UNIX on your toaster! 2. A very, very dumb + computer. You could run this program on any dumb toaster. See {bitty box}, {Get a real computer!}, {toy}, {beige toaster}. 3. A Macintosh, esp. the Classic Mac. Some hold that this is - implied by sense 2. 4. A peripheral device. "I bought my box + implied by sense 2. 4. A peripheral device. I bought my box without toasters, but since then I've added two boards and a second - disk drive." + disk drive. :toeprint: n. A {footprint} of especially small size. @@ -18793,8 +18793,8 @@ grouchi (typically text-stream) interface designed specifically to be used in programmed combination with other tools (see {filter}). 3. [MIT: general to students there] vi. To work; to study (connotes - tedium). The TMRC Dictionary defined this as "to set one's brain - to the grindstone". See {hack}. 4. [MIT] n. A student who + tedium). The TMRC Dictionary defined this as to set one's brain + to the grindstone. See {hack}. 4. [MIT] n. A student who studies too much and hacks too little. (MIT's student humor magazine rejoices in the name `Tool and Die'.) @@ -18802,19 +18802,19 @@ grouchi specialist; one who specializes in making the {tool}s with which other programmers create applications. Many hackers consider this more fun than applications per se; to understand why, see - {uninteresting}. Jon Bentley, in the "Bumper-Sticker Computer - Science" chapter of his book `More Programming Pearls', - quotes Dick Sites from DEC as saying "I'd rather write programs to - write programs than write programs". + {uninteresting}. Jon Bentley, in the Bumper-Sticker Computer + Science chapter of his book `More Programming Pearls', + quotes Dick Sites from DEC as saying I'd rather write programs to + write programs than write programs. :topic drift: n. Term used on GEnie, USENET and other electronic fora to describe the tendency of a {thread} to drift away from the original subject of discussion (and thus, from the Subject header of the originating message), or the results of that tendency. Often used in gentle reminders that the discussion has - strayed off any useful track. "I think we started with a question + strayed off any useful track. I think we started with a question about Niven's last book, but we've ended up discussing the sexual - habits of the common marmoset. Now *that's* topic drift!" + habits of the common marmoset. Now *that's* topic drift! :topic group: n. Syn. {forum}. @@ -18830,7 +18830,7 @@ grouchi :toto: /toh'toh/ n. This is reported to be the default scratch file name among French-speaking programmers --- in other words, a francophone {foo}. It is reported that the phonetic mutations - "titi", "tata", and "tutu" canonically follow `toto', + titi, tata, and tutu canonically follow `toto', analogously to {bar}, {baz} and {quux} in English. :tourist: [ITS] n. A guest on the system, especially one who @@ -18898,9 +18898,9 @@ grouchi :trap: 1. n. A program interrupt, usually an interrupt caused by some exceptional situation in the user program. In most cases, the OS performs some action, then returns control to the program. - 2. vi. To cause a trap. "These instructions trap to the - monitor." Also used transitively to indicate the cause of the - trap. "The monitor traps all input/output instructions." + 2. vi. To cause a trap. These instructions trap to the + monitor. Also used transitively to indicate the cause of the + trap. The monitor traps all input/output instructions. This term is associated with assembler programming (`interrupt' or `exception' is more common among {HLL} programmers) and @@ -18962,17 +18962,17 @@ grouchi originally in PDP-11 assembler and then in barely-structured early C by the late Joseph Ossanna, modeled after the earlier ROFF which was in turn modeled after Multics' RUNOFF by Jerome Saltzer - (*that* name came from the expression "to run off a copy"). A + (*that* name came from the expression to run off a copy). A companion program, `nroff', formats output for terminals and line printers. In 1979, Brian Kernighan modified `troff' so that it could drive phototypesetters other than the Graphic Systems CAT. His - paper describing that work ("A Typesetter-independent troff," + paper describing that work (A Typesetter-independent troff, AT&T CSTR #97) explains troff's durability. After discussing the - program's "obvious deficiencies --- a rebarbative input syntax, + program's obvious deficiencies --- a rebarbative input syntax, mysterious and undocumented properties in some areas, and a - voracious appetite for computer resources" and noting the ugliness + voracious appetite for computer resources and noting the ugliness and extreme hairiness of the code and internals, Kernighan concludes: @@ -19015,16 +19015,16 @@ grouchi :tron: [NRL, CMU; prob. fr. the movie `Tron'] v. To become inaccessible except via email or `talk(1)', especially when one is normally available via telephone or in person. Frequently - used in the past tense, as in: "Ran seems to have tronned on us - this week" or "Gee, Ran, glad you were able to un-tron - yourself". One may also speak of `tron mode'; compare + used in the past tense, as in: Ran seems to have tronned on us + this week or Gee, Ran, glad you were able to un-tron + yourself. One may also speak of `tron mode'; compare {spod}. :true-hacker: [analogy with `trufan' from SF fandom] n. One who exemplifies the primary values of hacker culture, esp. competence - and helpfulness to other hackers. A high compliment. "He spent + and helpfulness to other hackers. A high compliment. He spent 6 hours helping me bring up UUCP and netnews on my FOOBAR 4000 - last week --- manifestly the act of a true-hacker." Compare + last week --- manifestly the act of a true-hacker. Compare {demigod}, oppose {munchkin}. :tty: /T-T-Y/ [UNIX], /tit'ee/ [ITS, but some UNIX people say it @@ -19044,13 +19044,13 @@ grouchi TV; real hackers don't watch TV, except for Loony Toons, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Trek Classic, the Simpsons, and the occasional cheesy old swashbuckler movie (see {Appendix B}). 2. [IBM] To send - a copy of something to someone else's terminal. "Tube me that - note?" + a copy of something to someone else's terminal. Tube me that + note? :tube time: n. Time spent at a terminal or console. More inclusive than hacking time; commonly used in discussions of what parts of - one's environment one uses most heavily. "I find I'm spending too - much of my tube time reading mail since I started this revision." + one's environment one uses most heavily. I find I'm spending too + much of my tube time reading mail since I started this revision. :tunafish: n. In hackish lore, refers to the mutated punchline of an age-old joke to be found at the bottom of the manual pages of @@ -19059,13 +19059,13 @@ grouchi using 4.2. Tunefs relates to the `tuning' of file-system parameters for optimum performance, and at the bottom of a few pages of wizardly inscriptions was a `BUGS' section consisting of - the line "You can tune a file system, but you can't tunafish". + the line You can tune a file system, but you can't tunafish. Variants of this can be seen in other BSD versions, though it has been excised from some versions by humorless management {droid}s. The [nt]roff source for SunOS 4.1.1 contains a - comment apparently designed to prevent this: "Take this out and a + comment apparently designed to prevent this: Take this out and a Unix Demon will dog your steps from now until the `time_t''s - wrap around." + wrap around. :tune: [from automotive or musical usage] vt. To optimize a program or system for a particular environment, esp. by adjusting numerical @@ -19092,8 +19092,8 @@ grouchi is, it's theoretically universal --- but in practice, the harder you struggle to get any real work done, the deeper its inadequacies suck you in. Compare {bondage-and-discipline language}. 2. The - perennial {holy wars} over whether language A or B is the "most - powerful". + perennial {holy wars} over whether language A or B is the most + powerful. :turist: /too'rist/ n. Var. sp. of {tourist}, q.v. Also in adjectival form, `turistic'. Poss. influenced by {luser} and @@ -19133,7 +19133,7 @@ grouchi `twenty TENEX'), even though by this point very little of the original TENEX code remained (analogously to the differences between AT&T V6 UNIX and BSD). DEC people cringed when they heard - "TWENEX", but the term caught on nevertheless (the written + TWENEX, but the term caught on nevertheless (the written abbreviation `20x' was also used). TWENEX was successful and very popular; in fact, there was a period in the early 1980s when it commanded as fervent a culture of partisans as UNIX or ITS --- @@ -19156,8 +19156,8 @@ grouchi twiddling}, {toggle}). :twilight zone: [IRC] n. Notionally, the area of cyberspace where {IRC} - operators live. An {op} is said to have a "connection to the - twilight zone". + operators live. An {op} is said to have a connection to the + twilight zone. :twink: /twink/ [UCSC] n. Equivalent to {read-only user}. Also reported on the USENET group soc.motss; may derive from @@ -19165,18 +19165,18 @@ grouchi mainstream `chick'). :two pi: quant. The number of years it takes to finish one's - thesis. Occurs in stories in the following form: "He started on - his thesis; 2 pi years later..." + thesis. Occurs in stories in the following form: He started on + his thesis; 2 pi years later... :two-to-the-N: quant. An amount much larger than {N} but smaller - than {infinity}. "I have 2-to-the-N things to do before I can - go out for lunch" means you probably won't show up. + than {infinity}. I have 2-to-the-N things to do before I can + go out for lunch means you probably won't show up. :twonkie: /twon'kee/ n. The software equivalent of a Twinkie (a variety of sugar-loaded junk food, or (in gay slang) the male equivalent of `chick'); a useless `feature' added to look sexy and placate a {marketroid} (compare {Saturday-night - special}). This may also be related to "The Twonky", title + special}). This may also be related to The Twonky, title menace of a classic SF short story by Lewis Padgett (Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore), first published in the September 1942 `Astounding Science Fiction' and subsequently much @@ -19210,11 +19210,11 @@ grouchi underlying implementation of a product (hardware, software, or idea). Implies that the implementation is not intuitively obvious from the appearance, but the speaker is about to enable the - listener to {grok} it. "Let's now look under the hood to see - how ...." 2. Can also imply that the implementation is much - simpler than the appearance would indicate: "Under the hood, we - are just fork/execing the shell." 3. Inside a chassis, as in - "Under the hood, this baby has a 40MHz 68030!" + listener to {grok} it. Let's now look under the hood to see + how .... 2. Can also imply that the implementation is much + simpler than the appearance would indicate: Under the hood, we + are just fork/execing the shell. 3. Inside a chassis, as in + Under the hood, this baby has a 40MHz 68030! :undocumented feature: n. See {feature}. @@ -19233,8 +19233,8 @@ grouchi a tectonic plate). See {WOMBAT}, {SMOP}; compare {toy problem}, oppose {interesting}. -:UNIX:: /yoo'niks/ [In the authors' words, "A weak pun on - Multics"] n. (also `Unix') An interactive time-sharing system +:UNIX:: /yoo'niks/ [In the authors' words, A weak pun on + Multics] n. (also `Unix') An interactive time-sharing system originally invented in 1969 by Ken Thompson after Bell Labs left the Multics project, originally so he could play games on his scavenged PDP-7. Dennis Ritchie, the inventor of C, is considered @@ -19280,7 +19280,7 @@ grouchi viruses (see {virus}) --- but a virus spread to computers indirectly by people and market forces, rather than directly through disks and networks. Adherents of this `UNIX virus' theory like to cite the - fact that the well-known quotation "UNIX is snake oil" was + fact that the well-known quotation UNIX is snake oil was uttered by DEC president Kenneth Olsen shortly before DEC began actively promoting its own family of UNIX workstations. (Olsen now claims to have been misquoted.) @@ -19291,11 +19291,11 @@ grouchi question may consider mastery of UNIX arcana to be a wizardly skill, the only real skill involved is the ability to tolerate (and the bad taste to wallow in) the incoherence and needless complexity - that is alleged to infest many UNIX programs. "This shell script + that is alleged to infest many UNIX programs. This shell script tries to parse its arguments in 69 bletcherous ways. It must have - been written by a real UNIX weenie." 2. A derogatory term for + been written by a real UNIX weenie. 2. A derogatory term for anyone who engages in uncritical praise of UNIX. Often appearing - in the context "stupid UNIX weenie". See {Weenix}, {UNIX + in the context stupid UNIX weenie. See {Weenix}, {UNIX conspiracy}. See also {weenie}. :unixism: n. A piece of code or a coding technique that depends on @@ -19312,8 +19312,8 @@ grouchi memory. Compare {vaxocentrism}; see also {New Jersey}. :unleaded: adj. Said of decaffeinated coffee, Diet Coke, and other - imitation {programming fluid}s. "Do you want regular or - unleaded?" Appears to be widespread among programmers associated + imitation {programming fluid}s. Do you want regular or + unleaded? Appears to be widespread among programmers associated with the oil industry in Texas (and probably elsewhere). Usage: silly, and probably unintelligible to the next generation of hackers. @@ -19334,16 +19334,16 @@ grouchi the given caller. In C this is done with `longjmp'/`setjmp', in LISP with `throw/catch'. See also {smash the stack}. 2. People can unwind the stack as - well, by quickly dealing with a bunch of problems: "Oh heck, let's - do lunch. Just a second while I unwind my stack." + well, by quickly dealing with a bunch of problems: Oh heck, let's + do lunch. Just a second while I unwind my stack. :unwind-protect: [MIT: from the name of a LISP operator] n. A task you must remember to perform before you leave a place or finish a - project. "I have an unwind-protect to call my advisor." + project. I have an unwind-protect to call my advisor. -:up: adj. 1. Working, in order. "The down escalator is up." +:up: adj. 1. Working, in order. The down escalator is up. Oppose {down}. 2. `bring up': vt. To create a working - version and start it. "They brought up a down system." + version and start it. They brought up a down system. 3. `come up' vi. To become ready for production use. :upload: /uhp'lohd/ v. 1. [techspeak] To transfer programs or @@ -19358,7 +19358,7 @@ grouchi prospect with approbation. :upthread: adv. Earlier in the discussion (see {thread}), i.e., - `above'. "As Joe pointed out upthread, ..." See also + `above'. As Joe pointed out upthread, ... See also {followup}. :urchin: n. See {munchkin}. @@ -19408,8 +19408,8 @@ grouchi :user-obsequious: adj. Emphatic form of {user-friendly}. Connotes a system so verbose, inflexible, and determinedly simple-minded - that it is nearly unusable. "Design a system any fool can use and - only a fool will want to use it." See {WIMP environment}, + that it is nearly unusable. Design a system any fool can use and + only a fool will want to use it. See {WIMP environment}, {Macintrash}. :USG UNIX: /U-S-G yoo'niks/ n. Refers to AT&T UNIX @@ -19419,7 +19419,7 @@ grouchi `UNIX Support Group'. See {BSD}, {{UNIX}}. :UTSL: // [UNIX] n. On-line acronym for `Use the Source, Luke' (a - pun on Obi-Wan Kenobi's "Use the Force, Luke!" in `Star + pun on Obi-Wan Kenobi's Use the Force, Luke! in `Star Wars') --- analogous to {RTFM} but more polite. This is a common way of suggesting that someone would be best off reading the source code that supports whatever feature is causing confusion, @@ -19472,8 +19472,8 @@ grouchi not mean that the food is flavored with vanilla extract! For example, `vanilla wonton soup' means ordinary wonton soup, as opposed to hot-and-sour wonton soup. Applied to hardware and - software, as in "Vanilla Version 7 UNIX can't run on a - vanilla 11/34." Also used to orthogonalize chip nomenclature; for + software, as in Vanilla Version 7 UNIX can't run on a + vanilla 11/34. Also used to orthogonalize chip nomenclature; for instance, a 74V00 means what TI calls a 7400, as distinct from a 74LS00, etc. This word differs from {canonical} in that the latter means `default', whereas vanilla simply means `ordinary'. @@ -19513,7 +19513,7 @@ grouchi noted for its large, assembler-programmer-friendly instruction set --- an asset that became a liability after the RISC revolution. 2. A major brand of vacuum cleaner in Britain. Cited here because - its alleged sales pitch, "Nothing sucks like a VAX!" became a + its alleged sales pitch, Nothing sucks like a VAX! became a sort of battle-cry of RISC partisans. It is even sometimes claimed that DEC actually entered a cross-licensing deal with the vacuum-Vax people that allowed them to market VAX computers in the @@ -19522,7 +19522,7 @@ grouchi It is sometimes claimed that this slogan was *not* actually used by the Vax vacuum-cleaner people, but was actually that of a - rival brand called Electrolux (as in "Nothing sucks like..."). + rival brand called Electrolux (as in Nothing sucks like...). It's been reliably confirmed that Electrolux actually did use this slogan in the late 1960s; they're a Belgian company, and it apparently has become a classic example (used in textbooks) of the perils of @@ -19542,8 +19542,8 @@ grouchi :VAXen: /vak'sn/ [from `oxen', perhaps influenced by `vixen'] n. (alt. `vaxen') The plural canonically used among hackers for the - DEC VAX computers. "Our installation has four PDP-10s and twenty - vaxen." See {boxen}. + DEC VAX computers. Our installation has four PDP-10s and twenty + vaxen. See {boxen}. :vaxherd: n. /vaks'herd/ [from `oxherd'] A VAX operator. @@ -19644,7 +19644,7 @@ grouchi the `rear' file, it can also be used with printouts of graphics, a claim few if any diff programs can make. See {diff}. -:veeblefester: /vee'b*l-fes`tr/ [from the "Born Loser" +:veeblefester: /vee'b*l-fes`tr/ [from the Born Loser comix via Commodore; prob. originally from `Mad' Magazine's `Veeblefeetzer' parodies ca. 1960] n. Any obnoxious person engaged in the (alleged) professions of marketing or management. Antonym @@ -19704,8 +19704,8 @@ grouchi Like the {gorilla arm} effect, this has been a cautionary tale to hackers ever since. See also {vannevar}. -:virgin: adj. Unused; pristine; in a known initial state. "Let's - bring up a virgin system and see if it crashes again." (Esp. +:virgin: adj. Unused; pristine; in a known initial state. Let's + bring up a virgin system and see if it crashes again. (Esp. useful after contracting a {virus} through {SEX}.) Also, by extension, buffers and the like within a program that have not yet been used. @@ -19805,15 +19805,15 @@ grouchi See also {VAX}, {{TOPS-10}}, {{TOPS-20}}, {{UNIX}}, {runic}. :voice: vt. To phone someone, as opposed to emailing them or - connecting in {talk mode}. "I'm busy now; I'll voice you later." + connecting in {talk mode}. I'm busy now; I'll voice you later. :voice-net: n. Hackish way of referring to the telephone system, analogizing it to a digital network. USENET {sig block}s not - uncommonly include the sender's phone next to a "Voice:" or - "Voice-Net:" header; common variants of this are "Voicenet" and - "V-Net". Compare {paper-net}, {snail-mail}. + uncommonly include the sender's phone next to a Voice: or + Voice-Net: header; common variants of this are Voicenet and + V-Net. Compare {paper-net}, {snail-mail}. -:voodoo programming: [from George Bush's "voodoo economics"] n. +:voodoo programming: [from George Bush's voodoo economics] n. The use by guess or cookbook of an {obscure} or {hairy} system, feature, or algorithm that one does not truly understand. The implication is that the technique may not work, and if it doesn't, @@ -19826,7 +19826,7 @@ grouchi :VR: // [MUD] n. On-line abbrev for {virtual reality}, as opposed to {RL}. -:Vulcan nerve pinch: n. [from the old "Star Trek" TV series via +:Vulcan nerve pinch: n. [from the old Star Trek TV series via Commodore Amiga hackers] The keyboard combination that forces a soft-boot or jump to ROM monitor (on machines that support such a feature). On many micros this is Ctrl-Alt-Del; on Suns, L1-A; on @@ -19842,7 +19842,7 @@ grouchi ===== :wabbit: /wab'it/ [almost certainly from Elmer Fudd's immortal - line "You wascawwy wabbit!"] n. 1. A legendary early hack + line You wascawwy wabbit!] n. 1. A legendary early hack reported on a System/360 at RPI and elsewhere around 1978; this may have descended (if only by inspiration) from hack called RABBITS reported from 1969 on a Burroughs 55000 at the University of @@ -19876,7 +19876,7 @@ grouchi computing, allowing analog audio and video signals to be switched to programming terminals. -:waldo: /wol'doh/ [From Robert A. Heinlein's story "Waldo"] +:waldo: /wol'doh/ [From Robert A. Heinlein's story Waldo] 1. A mechanical agent, such as a gripper arm, controlled by a human limb. When these were developed for the nuclear industry in the mid-1940s they were named after the invention described by Heinlein @@ -19912,7 +19912,7 @@ grouchi would do this to particular drive models and held disk-drive races. :wall: [WPI] interj. 1. An indication of confusion, usually spoken - with a quizzical tone: "Wall??" 2. A request for further + with a quizzical tone: Wall?? 2. A request for further explication. Compare {octal forty}. 3. [UNIX] v. To send a message to everyone currently logged in, esp. with the wall(8) utility. @@ -19920,9 +19920,9 @@ grouchi blank wall'. It was originally used in situations where, after you had carefully answered a question, the questioner stared at you blankly, clearly having understood nothing that was explained. You - would then throw out a "Hello, wall?" to elicit some sort of + would then throw out a Hello, wall? to elicit some sort of response from the questioner. Later, confused questioners began - voicing "Wall?" themselves. + voicing Wall? themselves. :wall follower: n. A person or algorithm that compensates for lack of sophistication or native stupidity by efficiently following some @@ -19967,16 +19967,16 @@ grouchi :wango: /wang'goh/ n. Random bit-level {grovel}ling going on in a system during some unspecified operation. Often used in - combination with {mumble}. For example: "You start with the `.o' + combination with {mumble}. For example: You start with the `.o' file, run it through this postprocessor that does mumble-wango --- - and it comes out a snazzy object-oriented executable." + and it comes out a snazzy object-oriented executable. :wank: /wangk/ [Columbia University: prob. by mutation from Commonwealth slang v. `wank', to masturbate] n.,v. Used much as {hack} is elsewhere, as a noun denoting a clever technique or person or the result of such cleverness. May describe (negatively) - the act of hacking for hacking's sake ("Quit wanking, let's go get - supper!") or (more positively) a {wizard}. Adj. `wanky' + the act of hacking for hacking's sake (Quit wanking, let's go get + supper!) or (more positively) a {wizard}. Adj. `wanky' describes something particularly clever (a person, program, or algorithm). Conversations can also get wanky when there are too many wanks involved. This excess wankiness is signalled by an @@ -20058,9 +20058,9 @@ grouchi :wave a dead chicken: v. To perform a ritual in the direction of crashed software or hardware that one believes to be futile but is nevertheless necessary so that others are satisfied that an - appropriate degree of effort has been expended. "I'll wave a dead + appropriate degree of effort has been expended. I'll wave a dead chicken over the source code, but I really think we've run into an - OS bug." Compare {voodoo programming}, {rain dance}. + OS bug. Compare {voodoo programming}, {rain dance}. :weasel: n. [Cambridge] A naive user, one who deliberately or accidentally does things that are stupid or ill-advised. Roughly @@ -20075,8 +20075,8 @@ grouchi another (but not all instances of wedging are deadlocks). See also {gronk}, {locked up}, {hosed}. Describes a {deadlock}ed condition. 2. Often refers to humans suffering - misconceptions. "He's totally wedged --- he's convinced that he - can levitate through meditation." 3. [UNIX] Specifically used to + misconceptions. He's totally wedged --- he's convinced that he + can levitate through meditation. 3. [UNIX] Specifically used to describe the state of a TTY left in a losing state by abort of a screen-oriented program or one that has messed with the line discipline in some obscure way. @@ -20095,13 +20095,13 @@ grouchi {wedged}. :weeble: /weeb'l/ [Cambridge] interj. Used to denote frustration, - usually at amazing stupidity. "I stuck the disk in upside down." - "Weeble...." Compare {gurfle}. + usually at amazing stupidity. I stuck the disk in upside down. + Weeble.... Compare {gurfle}. :weeds: n. 1. Refers to development projects or algorithms that have no possible relevance or practical application. Comes from `off in - the weeds'. Used in phrases like "lexical analysis for microcode - is serious weeds...." 2. At CDC/ETA before its demise, the + the weeds'. Used in phrases like lexical analysis for microcode + is serious weeds.... 2. At CDC/ETA before its demise, the phrase `go off in the weeds' was equivalent to IBM's {branch to Fishkill} and mainstream hackerdom's {jump off into never-never land}. @@ -20127,10 +20127,10 @@ grouchi :Weenix: /wee'niks/ [ITS] n. A derogatory term for {{UNIX}}, derived from {UNIX weenie}. According to one noted ex-ITSer, it - is "the operating system preferred by Unix Weenies: typified by + is the operating system preferred by Unix Weenies: typified by poor modularity, poor reliability, hard file deletion, no file version numbers, case sensitivity everywhere, and users who believe - that these are all advantages". Some ITS fans behave as though + that these are all advantages. Some ITS fans behave as though they believe UNIX stole a future that rightfully belonged to them. See {{ITS}}, sense 2. @@ -20152,13 +20152,13 @@ grouchi :wetware: /wet'weir/ [prob. from the novels of Rudy Rucker] n. 1. The human nervous system, as opposed to computer hardware or - software. "Wetware has 7 plus or minus 2 temporary registers." + software. Wetware has 7 plus or minus 2 temporary registers. 2. Human beings (programmers, operators, administrators) attached to a computer system, as opposed to the system's hardware or software. See {liveware}, {meatware}. -:whack: v. According to arch-hacker James Gosling, to "...modify a - program with no idea whatsoever how it works." (See {whacker}.) +:whack: v. According to arch-hacker James Gosling, to ...modify a + program with no idea whatsoever how it works. (See {whacker}.) It is actually possible to do this in nontrivial circumstances if the change is small and well-defined and you are very good at {glark}ing things from context. As a trivial example, it is @@ -20183,18 +20183,18 @@ grouchi mode. This sound isn't anything like the normal two-tone handshake between conventional modems and is instantly recognizable to anyone who has heard it more than once. It sounds, in fact, very much - like whale songs. This noise is also called "the moose call" or - "moose tones". + like whale songs. This noise is also called the moose call or + moose tones. -:What's a spline?: [XEROX PARC] This phrase expands to: "You have +:What's a spline?: [XEROX PARC] This phrase expands to: You have just used a term that I've heard for a year and a half, and I feel I should know, but don't. My curiosity has finally overcome my - guilt." The PARC lexicon adds "Moral: don't hesitate to ask - questions, even if they seem obvious." + guilt. The PARC lexicon adds Moral: don't hesitate to ask + questions, even if they seem obvious. :wheel: [from slang `big wheel' for a powerful person] n. A - person who has an active {wheel bit}. "We need to find a - wheel to unwedge the hung tape drives." (see {wedged}, sense + person who has an active {wheel bit}. We need to find a + wheel to unwedge the hung tape drives. (see {wedged}, sense 1.) :wheel bit: n. A privilege bit that allows the possessor to perform @@ -20228,8 +20228,8 @@ grouchi :widget: n. 1. A meta-thing. Used to stand for a real object in didactic examples (especially database tutorials). Legend has it - that the original widgets were holders for buggy whips. "But - suppose the parts list for a widget has 52 entries...." + that the original widgets were holders for buggy whips. But + suppose the parts list for a widget has 52 entries.... 2. [poss. evoking `window gadget'] A user interface object in {X} graphical user interfaces. @@ -20260,8 +20260,8 @@ grouchi to a problem. Oppose {lose}; see also {big win}, which isn't quite just an intensification of `win'. -:win big: vi. To experience serendipity. "I went shopping and won - big; there was a 2-for-1 sale." See {big win}. +:win big: vi. To experience serendipity. I went shopping and won + big; there was a 2-for-1 sale. See {big win}. :win win: interj. Expresses pleasure at a {win}. @@ -20279,10 +20279,10 @@ grouchi environment}s like {X} or the Macintosh, extended experimentation with new window colors, fonts, and icon shapes. This activity can take up hours of what might otherwise have been - productive working time. "I spent the afternoon window shopping + productive working time. I spent the afternoon window shopping until I found the coolest shade of green for my active window borders --- now they perfectly match my medium slate blue - background." Serious window shoppers will spend their days + background. Serious window shoppers will spend their days with bitmap editors, creating new and different icons and background patterns for all to see. Also: `window dressing', the act of applying new fonts, colors, etc. See {fritterware}, @@ -20301,19 +20301,19 @@ grouchi when something is winning. :winner: 1. n. An unexpectedly good situation, program, programmer, - or person. "So it turned out I could use a {lexer} generator - instead of hand-coding my own pattern recognizer. What a win!" + or person. So it turned out I could use a {lexer} generator + instead of hand-coding my own pattern recognizer. What a win! 2. `real winner': Often sarcastic, but also used as high praise - (see also the note under {user}). "He's a real winner --- never + (see also the note under {user}). He's a real winner --- never reports a bug till he can duplicate it and send in an - example." + example. :winnitude: /win'*-t[y]ood/ n. The quality of winning (as opposed - to {winnage}, which is the result of winning). "Guess what? + to {winnage}, which is the result of winning). Guess what? They tweaked the microcode and now the LISP interpreter runs twice - as fast as it used to." "That's really great! Boy, what - winnitude!" "Yup. I'll probably get a half-hour's winnage on the - next run of my program." Perhaps curiously, the obvious antonym + as fast as it used to. That's really great! Boy, what + winnitude! Yup. I'll probably get a half-hour's winnage on the + next run of my program. Perhaps curiously, the obvious antonym `lossitude' is rare. :wired: n. See {hardwired}. @@ -20334,8 +20334,8 @@ grouchi :wish list: n. A list of desired features or bug fixes that probably won't get done for a long time, usually because the person responsible for the code is too busy or can't think of a clean way - to do it. "OK, I'll add automatic filename completion to the wish - list for the new interface." Compare {tick-list features}. + to do it. OK, I'll add automatic filename completion to the wish + list for the new interface. Compare {tick-list features}. :within delta of: adj. See {delta}. @@ -20388,8 +20388,8 @@ grouchi :wonky: /wong'kee/ [from Australian slang] adj. Yet another approximate synonym for {broken}. Specifically connotes a malfunction that produces behavior seen as crazy, humorous, or - amusingly perverse. "That was the day the printer's font logic - went wonky and everybody's listings came out in Tengwar." Also in + amusingly perverse. That was the day the printer's font logic + went wonky and everybody's listings came out in Tengwar. Also in `wonked out'. See {funky}, {demented}, {bozotic}. :woofer: [University of Waterloo] n. Some varieties of wide paper @@ -20405,13 +20405,13 @@ grouchi {bug} or {misfeature} so that work can continue. Theoretically, workarounds are always replaced by {fix}es; in practice, customers often find themselves living with workarounds - in the first couple of releases. "The code died on NUL characters - in the input, so I fixed it to interpret them as spaces." - "That's not a fix, that's a workaround!" 2. A procedure to be + in the first couple of releases. The code died on NUL characters + in the input, so I fixed it to interpret them as spaces. + That's not a fix, that's a workaround! 2. A procedure to be employed by the user in order to do what some currently non-working - feature should do. Hypothetical example: "Using META-F7 {crash}es + feature should do. Hypothetical example: Using META-F7 {crash}es the 4.43 build of Weemax, but as a workaround you can type CTRL-R, - then SHIFT-F5, and delete the remaining {cruft} by hand." + then SHIFT-F5, and delete the remaining {cruft} by hand. :working as designed: [IBM] adj. 1. In conformance to a wrong or inappropriate specification; useful, but misdesigned. @@ -20468,10 +20468,10 @@ grouchi around 1974, Signetics bought a double-page spread in `Electronics' magazine's April issue and used the spec as an April Fools' Day joke. Instead of the more conventional characteristic curves, the - 25120 "fully encoded, 9046 x N, Random Access, write-only-memory" - data sheet included diagrams of "bit capacity vs. Temp.", - "Iff vs. Vff", "Number of pins remaining vs. number of socket - insertions", and "AQL vs. selling price". The 25120 required a + 25120 fully encoded, 9046 x N, Random Access, write-only-memory + data sheet included diagrams of bit capacity vs. Temp., + Iff vs. Vff, Number of pins remaining vs. number of socket + insertions, and AQL vs. selling price. The 25120 required a 6.3 VAC VFF supply, a +10V VCC, and VDD of 0V, +/- 2%. :Wrong Thing: n. A design, action, or decision that is clearly @@ -20479,10 +20479,10 @@ grouchi in speech as if capitalized. The opposite of the {Right Thing}; more generally, anything that is not the Right Thing. In cases where `the good is the enemy of the best', the merely good --- - although good --- is nevertheless the Wrong Thing. "In C, the + although good --- is nevertheless the Wrong Thing. In C, the default is for module-level declarations to be visible everywhere, rather than just within the module. This is clearly the Wrong - Thing." + Thing. :wugga wugga: /wuh'g* wuh'g*/ n. Imaginary sound that a computer program makes as it labors with a tedious or difficult task. @@ -20490,11 +20490,11 @@ grouchi :wumpus: /wuhm'p*s/ n. The central monster (and, in many versions, the name) of a famous family of very early computer games - called "Hunt The Wumpus", dating back at least to 1972 (several + called Hunt The Wumpus, dating back at least to 1972 (several years before {ADVENT}) on the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System. The wumpus lived somewhere in a cave with the topology of an dodecahedron's edge/vertex graph (later versions supported other - topologies, including an icosahedron and M"obius strip). The player + topologies, including an icosahedron and Mobius strip). The player started somewhere at random in the cave with five `crooked arrows'; these could be shot through up to three connected rooms, and would kill the wumpus on a hit (later versions introduced @@ -20517,7 +20517,7 @@ grouchi as freeware on the net. :WYSIAYG: /wiz'ee-ayg/ adj. Describes a user interface under - which "What You See Is *All* You Get"; an unhappy variant of + which What You See Is *All* You Get; an unhappy variant of {WYSIWYG}. Visual, `point-and-shoot'-style interfaces tend to have easy initial learning curves, but also to lack depth; they often frustrate advanced users who would be better served by a @@ -20534,7 +20534,7 @@ grouchi becomes not just desirable but a necessity. Compare {YAFIYGI}. :WYSIWYG: /wiz'ee-wig/ adj. Describes a user interface under - which "What You See Is What You Get", as opposed to one that uses + which What You See Is What You Get, as opposed to one that uses more-or-less obscure commands that do not result in immediate visual feedback. True WYSIWYG in environments supporting multiple fonts or graphics is a a rarely-attained ideal; there are variants @@ -20586,8 +20586,8 @@ grouchi :XON: /X'on/ n. Syn. {control-Q}. :xor: /X'or/, /kzor/ conj. Exclusive or. `A xor B' means - `A or B, but not both'. "I want to get cherry pie xor a - banana split." This derives from the technical use of the term as + `A or B, but not both'. I want to get cherry pie xor a + banana split. This derives from the technical use of the term as a function on truth-values that is true if exactly one of its two arguments is true. @@ -20606,16 +20606,16 @@ grouchi find there. If you type `xyzzy' at the appropriate time, you can move instantly between two otherwise distant points. If, therefore, you encounter some bit of {magic}, you might remark - on this quite succinctly by saying simply "Xyzzy!" "Ordinarily + on this quite succinctly by saying simply Xyzzy! Ordinarily you can't look at someone else's screen if he has protected it, but if you type quadruple-bucky-clear the system will let you do it - anyway." "Xyzzy!" Xyzzy has actually been implemented as an + anyway. Xyzzy! Xyzzy has actually been implemented as an undocumented no-op command on several OSes; in Data General's - AOS/VS, for example, it would typically respond "Nothing - happens", just as {ADVENT} did if the magic was invoked at the + AOS/VS, for example, it would typically respond Nothing + happens, just as {ADVENT} did if the magic was invoked at the wrong spot or before a player had performed the action that enabled the word. In more recent 32-bit versions, by the way, AOS/VS - responds "Twice as much happens". See also {plugh}. + responds Twice as much happens. See also {plugh}. = Y = ===== @@ -20630,18 +20630,18 @@ grouchi that it be given a name that is acronymic. The response from those with a trace of originality is to remark ironically that the proposed name would then be `YABA-compatible'. Also used in - response to questions like "What is WYSIWYG?" See also + response to questions like What is WYSIWYG? See also {TLA}. :YAFIYGI: /yaf'ee-y:-gee/ adj. [coined in response to WYSIWYG] Describes the command-oriented ed/vi/nroff/TeX style of word processing or other user interface, the opposite of {WYSIWYG}. - Stands for "You asked for it, you got it", because what you + Stands for You asked for it, you got it, because what you actually asked for is often not apparent until long after it is too - late to do anything about it. Used to denote perversity ("Real - Programmers use YAFIYGI tools...and *like* it!") or, less - often, a necessary tradeoff ("Only a YAFIYGI tool can have full - programmable flexibility in its interface."). + late to do anything about it. Used to denote perversity (Real + Programmers use YAFIYGI tools...and *like* it!) or, less + often, a necessary tradeoff (Only a YAFIYGI tool can have full + programmable flexibility in its interface.). :YAUN: /yawn/ [Acronym for `Yet Another UNIX Nerd'] n. Reported from the San Diego Computer Society (predominantly a microcomputer @@ -20686,7 +20686,7 @@ grouchi mail, but you remember your {network address} faster than your postal one. * your {SO} kisses you on the neck and the first thing you - think is "Uh, oh, {priority interrupt}." + think is Uh, oh, {priority interrupt}. * you go to balance your checkbook and discover that you're doing it in octal. * your computers have a higher street value than your car. @@ -20695,9 +20695,9 @@ grouchi some programming language. * you realize you have never seen half of your best friends. - [An early version of this entry said "All but one of these + [An early version of this entry said All but one of these have been reliably reported as hacker traits (some of them quite - often). Even hackers may have trouble spotting the ringer." The + often). Even hackers may have trouble spotting the ringer. The ringer was balancing one's checkbook in octal, which I made up out of whole cloth. Although more respondents picked that one out as fiction than any of the others, I also received multiple @@ -20707,14 +20707,14 @@ grouchi :Your mileage may vary: cav. [from the standard disclaimer attached to EPA mileage ratings by American car manufacturers] 1. A ritual warning often found in UNIX freeware distributions. Translates - roughly as "Hey, I tried to write this portably, but who - *knows* what'll happen on your system?" 2. A qualifier more - generally attached to advice. "I find that sending flowers works - well, but your mileage may vary." + roughly as Hey, I tried to write this portably, but who + *knows* what'll happen on your system? 2. A qualifier more + generally attached to advice. I find that sending flowers works + well, but your mileage may vary. -:Yow!: /yow/ [from "Zippy the Pinhead" comix] interj. A favored hacker - expression of humorous surprise or emphasis. "Yow! Check out what - happens when you twiddle the foo option on this display hack!" +:Yow!: /yow/ [from Zippy the Pinhead comix] interj. A favored hacker + expression of humorous surprise or emphasis. Yow! Check out what + happens when you twiddle the foo option on this display hack! Compare {gurfle}. :yoyo mode: n. The state in which the system is said to be when it @@ -20745,13 +20745,13 @@ grouchi you wipe your nose for the rest of the meal.) See {zapped}. 4. vt. To modify, usually to correct; esp. used when the action is performed with a debugger or binary patching tool. Also implies - surgical precision. "Zap the debug level to 6 and run it again." + surgical precision. Zap the debug level to 6 and run it again. In the IBM mainframe world, binary patches are applied to programs or to the OS with a program called `superzap', whose file name is `IMASPZAP' (possibly contrived from I M A SuPerZAP). 5. vt. To erase or reset. 6. To {fry} a chip with static electricity. - "Uh oh --- I think that lightning strike may have zapped the disk - controller." + Uh oh --- I think that lightning strike may have zapped the disk + controller. :zapped: adj. Spicy. This term is used to distinguish between food that is hot (in temperature) and food that is *spicy*-hot. @@ -20762,8 +20762,8 @@ grouchi :zen: vt. To figure out something by meditation or by a sudden flash of enlightenment. Originally applied to bugs, but occasionally - applied to problems of life in general. "How'd you figure out the - buffer allocation problem?" "Oh, I zenned it." Contrast {grok}, + applied to problems of life in general. How'd you figure out the + buffer allocation problem? Oh, I zenned it. Contrast {grok}, which connotes a time-extended version of zenning a system. Compare {hack mode}. See also {guru}. @@ -20800,8 +20800,8 @@ grouchi :zip: [primarily MS-DOS] vt. To create a compressed archive from a group of files using PKWare's PKZIP or a compatible archiver. Its use is spreading now that portable implementations of the algorithm - have been written. Commonly used as follows: "I'll zip it up and - send it to you." See {arc}, {tar and feather}. + have been written. Commonly used as follows: I'll zip it up and + send it to you. See {arc}, {tar and feather}. :zipperhead: [IBM] n. A person with a closed mind. @@ -20813,14 +20813,14 @@ grouchi :zorch: /zorch/ 1. [TMRC] v. To attack with an inverse heat sink. 2. [TMRC] v. To travel, with v approaching c [that is, with velocity approaching lightspeed --- ESR]. 3. [MIT] v. To - propel something very quickly. "The new comm software is very - fast; it really zorches files through the network." 4. [MIT] n. + propel something very quickly. The new comm software is very + fast; it really zorches files through the network. 4. [MIT] n. Influence. Brownie points. Good karma. The intangible and fuzzy - currency in which favors are measured. "I'd rather not ask him + currency in which favors are measured. I'd rather not ask him for that just yet; I think I've used up my quota of zorch with him - for the week." 5. [MIT] n. Energy, drive, or ability. "I think + for the week. 5. [MIT] n. Energy, drive, or ability. I think I'll {punt} that change for now; I've been up for 30 hours - and I've run out of zorch." 6. [MIT] To flunk an exam or course. + and I've run out of zorch. 6. [MIT] To flunk an exam or course. :Zork: /zork/ n. The second of the great early experiments in computer fantasy gaming; see {ADVENT}. Originally written on MIT-DM @@ -20828,7 +20828,7 @@ grouchi sourceless RT-11 FORTRAN binary; see {retrocomputing}) and commercialized as `The Zork Trilogy' by Infocom. The FORTRAN source was later rewritten for portability and released to USENET - under the name "Dungeon". Both FORTRAN "Dungeon" and + under the name Dungeon. Both FORTRAN Dungeon and translated C versions are available at many FTP sites. :zorkmid: /zork'mid/ n. The canonical unit of currency in @@ -20840,7 +20840,7 @@ grouchi :'Snooze: /snooz/ [FidoNet] n. Fidonews, the weekly official on-line newsletter of FidoNet. As the editorial policy of Fidonews is - "anything that arrives, we print", there are often large articles + anything that arrives, we print, there are often large articles completely unrelated to FidoNet, which in turn tend to elicit {flamage} in subsequent issues. @@ -20855,8 +20855,8 @@ grouchi mainstream English to indicate a poor imitation, a counterfeit, or some otherwise slightly bogus resemblance. Hackers will happily use it with all sorts of non-Greco/Latin stem words that wouldn't - keep company with it in mainstream English. For example, "He's a - nerdoid" means that he superficially resembles a nerd but can't + keep company with it in mainstream English. For example, He's a + nerdoid means that he superficially resembles a nerd but can't make the grade; a `modemoid' might be a 300-baud box (Real Modems run at 9600 or up); a `computeroid' might be any {bitty box}. The word `keyboid' could be used to describe a {chiclet @@ -20867,7 +20867,7 @@ grouchi fans and hackers. It too has recently (in 1991) started to go mainstream (most notably in the term `trendoid' for victims of terminal hipness). This is probably traceable to the - popularization of the term {droid} in "Star Wars" and its + popularization of the term {droid} in Star Wars and its sequels. Coinages in both forms have been common in science fiction for at @@ -20886,8 +20886,8 @@ grouchi :/dev/null: /dev-nuhl/ [from the UNIX null device, used as a data sink] n. A notional `black hole' in any information space being discussed, used, or referred to. A controversial posting, for - example, might end "Kudos to rasputin@kremlin.org, flames to - /dev/null". See {bit bucket}. + example, might end Kudos to rasputin@kremlin.org, flames to + /dev/null. See {bit bucket}. :0: Numeric zero, as opposed to the letter `O' (the 15th letter of the English alphabet). In their unmodified forms they look a lot @@ -20911,7 +20911,7 @@ grouchi to the letter-O so that it resembled an inverted Q or cursive capital letter-O. Are we sufficiently confused yet? -:1TBS: // n. The "One True Brace Style"; see {indent style}. +:1TBS: // n. The One True Brace Style; see {indent style}. :120 reset: /wuhn-twen'tee ree'set/ [from 120 volts, U.S. wall voltage] n. To cycle power on a machine in order to reset or unjam @@ -20959,12 +20959,12 @@ meaning of various entries in the lexicon. :The Meaning of `Hack': ======================= -"The word {hack} doesn't really have 69 different meanings", according -to MIT hacker Phil Agre. "In fact, {hack} has only one meaning, an +The word {hack} doesn't really have 69 different meanings, according +to MIT hacker Phil Agre. In fact, {hack} has only one meaning, an extremely subtle and profound one which defies articulation. Which connotation is implied by a given use of the word depends in similarly profound ways on the context. Similar remarks apply to a couple of -other hacker words, most notably {random}." +other hacker words, most notably {random}. Hacking might be characterized as `an appropriate application of ingenuity'. Whether the result is a quick-and-dirty patchwork job or a @@ -21004,9 +21004,9 @@ of pure practical jokes that illustrate the hacking spirit: beaver --- nature's engineer --- as a mascot.) After the game, the Washington faculty athletic representative - said: "Some thought it ingenious; others were indignant." The - Washington student body president remarked: "No hard feelings, but - at the time it was unbelievable. We were amazed." + said: Some thought it ingenious; others were indignant. The + Washington student body president remarked: No hard feelings, but + at the time it was unbelievable. We were amazed. This is now considered a classic hack, particularly because revising the direction sheets constituted a form of programming. @@ -21021,8 +21021,8 @@ Here is another classic hack: stood around gawking, the ball grew to six feet in diameter and then burst with a bang and a cloud of white smoke. - The `Boston Globe' later reported: "If you want to know the truth, - MIT won The Game." + The `Boston Globe' later reported: If you want to know the truth, + MIT won The Game. The prank had taken weeks of careful planning by members of MIT's Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. The device consisted of a weather @@ -21044,10 +21044,10 @@ Here is another classic hack: explaining that the device was not dangerous and contained no explosives. - Harvard president Derek Bok commented: "They have an awful lot of - clever people down there at MIT, and they did it again." President - Paul E. Gray of MIT said: "There is absolutely no truth to the - rumor that I had anything to do with it, but I wish there were." + Harvard president Derek Bok commented: They have an awful lot of + clever people down there at MIT, and they did it again. President + Paul E. Gray of MIT said: There is absolutely no truth to the + rumor that I had anything to do with it, but I wish there were. The hacks above are verifiable history; they can be proved to have happened. Many other classic-hack stories from MIT and elsewhere, @@ -21194,19 +21194,19 @@ harmless as a TV or anything else on the list... which gave them an idea. The next day they returned, and the same thing happened: a guard stopped -them and asked what they were carrying. They said: "This is a TV -typewriter!" The guard was skeptical, so they plugged it in and -demonstrated it. "See? You just type on the keyboard and what you type -shows up on the TV screen." Now the guard didn't stop to think about +them and asked what they were carrying. They said: This is a TV +typewriter! The guard was skeptical, so they plugged it in and +demonstrated it. See? You just type on the keyboard and what you type +shows up on the TV screen. Now the guard didn't stop to think about how utterly useless a typewriter would be that didn't produce any paper copies of what you typed; but this was clearly a TV typewriter, no doubt -about it. So he checked his list: "A TV is all right, a typewriter is -all right ... okay, take it on in!" +about it. So he checked his list: A TV is all right, a typewriter is +all right ... okay, take it on in! [Historical note: Many years ago, `Popular Electronics' published solder-it-yourself plans for a TV typewriter. Despite the essential uselessness of the device, it was an enormously popular project. -Steve Ciarcia, the man behind `Byte' magazine's "Circuit Cellar" +Steve Ciarcia, the man behind `Byte' magazine's Circuit Cellar feature, resurrected this ghost in one of his books of the early 1980s. He ascribed its popularity (no doubt correctly) to the feeling of power the builder could achieve by being able to decide @@ -21217,9 +21217,9 @@ the following bit of filler: Solomon Waters of Altadena, a 6-year-old first-grader, came home from his first day of school and excitedly told his mother how he had - written on "a machine that looks like a computer -- but without the - TV screen." She asked him if it could have been a "typewriter." - "Yeah! Yeah!" he said. "That's what it was called." + written on a machine that looks like a computer -- but without the + TV screen. She asked him if it could have been a typewriter. + Yeah! Yeah! he said. That's what it was called. I have since investigated this matter and determined that many of today's teenagers have never seen a slide rule, either.... -- ESR] @@ -21299,9 +21299,9 @@ David Moon wrote much of Lisp machine Lisp. A novice was trying to fix a broken Lisp machine by turning the power off and on. - Knight, seeing what the student was doing, spoke sternly: "You cannot + Knight, seeing what the student was doing, spoke sternly: You cannot fix a machine by just power-cycling it with no understanding of what is -going wrong." +going wrong. Knight turned the machine off and on. @@ -21309,13 +21309,13 @@ going wrong." * * * - One day a student came to Moon and said: "I understand how to make a + One day a student came to Moon and said: I understand how to make a better garbage collector. We must keep a reference count of the -pointers to each cons." +pointers to each cons. Moon patiently told the student the following story: - "One day a student came to Moon and said: `I understand how to make + One day a student came to Moon and said: `I understand how to make a better garbage collector... [Ed. note: Pure reference-count garbage collectors have problems with @@ -21326,21 +21326,21 @@ circular structures that point to themselves.] In the days when Sussman was a novice, Minsky once came to him as he sat hacking at the PDP-6. - "What are you doing?", asked Minsky. + What are you doing?, asked Minsky. - "I am training a randomly wired neural net to play Tic-Tac-Toe" + I am training a randomly wired neural net to play Tic-Tac-Toe Sussman replied. - "Why is the net wired randomly?", asked Minsky. + Why is the net wired randomly?, asked Minsky. - "I do not want it to have any preconceptions of how to play", Sussman + I do not want it to have any preconceptions of how to play, Sussman said. Minsky then shut his eyes. - "Why do you close your eyes?", Sussman asked his teacher. + Why do you close your eyes?, Sussman asked his teacher. - "So that the room will be empty." + So that the room will be empty. At that moment, Sussman was enlightened. @@ -21349,11 +21349,11 @@ said. A disciple of another sect once came to Drescher as he was eating his morning meal. - "I would like to give you this personality test", said the outsider, -"because I want you to be happy." + I would like to give you this personality test, said the outsider, +because I want you to be happy. Drescher took the paper that was offered him and put it into the -toaster, saying: "I wish the toaster to be happy, too." +toaster, saying: I wish the toaster to be happy, too. :OS and JEDGAR: =============== @@ -21401,9 +21401,9 @@ May 21, 1983. Maybe they do now, in this decadent era of - Lite beer, hand calculators, and "user-friendly" software + Lite beer, hand calculators, and user-friendly software but back in the Good Old Days, - when the term "software" sounded funny + when the term software sounded funny and Real Computers were made out of drums and vacuum tubes, Real Programmers wrote in machine code. Not FORTRAN. Not RATFOR. Not, even, assembly language. @@ -21435,8 +21435,8 @@ May 21, 1983. for this new marvel and Mel was my guide to its wonders. Mel didn't approve of compilers. - "If a program can't rewrite its own code", - he asked, "what good is it?" + If a program can't rewrite its own code, + he asked, what good is it? Mel had written, in hexadecimal, @@ -21470,14 +21470,14 @@ May 21, 1983. because he could optimize his code: that is, locate instructions on the drum so that just as one finished its job, - the next would be just arriving at the "read head" + the next would be just arriving at the read head and available for immediate execution. There was a program to do that job, - an "optimizing assembler", + an optimizing assembler, but Mel refused to use it. - "You never know where it's going to put things", - he explained, "so you'd have to use separate constants". + You never know where it's going to put things, + he explained, so you'd have to use separate constants. It was a long time before I understood that remark. Since Mel knew the numerical value @@ -21485,7 +21485,7 @@ May 21, 1983. and assigned his own drum addresses, every instruction he wrote could also be considered a numerical constant. - He could pick up an earlier "add" instruction, say, + He could pick up an earlier add instruction, say, and multiply by it, if it had the right numeric value. His code was not easy for someone else to modify. @@ -21493,7 +21493,7 @@ May 21, 1983. I compared Mel's hand-optimized programs with the same code massaged by the optimizing assembler program, and Mel's always ran faster. - That was because the "top-down" method of program design + That was because the top-down method of program design hadn't been invented yet, and Mel wouldn't have used it anyway. He wrote the innermost parts of his program loops first, @@ -21510,22 +21510,22 @@ May 21, 1983. the drum had to execute another complete revolution to find the next instruction. He coined an unforgettable term for this procedure. - Although "optimum" is an absolute term, - like "unique", it became common verbal practice + Although optimum is an absolute term, + like unique, it became common verbal practice to make it relative: - "not quite optimum" or "less optimum" - or "not very optimum". + not quite optimum or less optimum + or not very optimum. Mel called the maximum time-delay locations - the "most pessimum". + the most pessimum. After he finished the blackjack program and got it to run - ("Even the initializer is optimized", + (Even the initializer is optimized, he said proudly), he got a Change Request from the sales department. The program used an elegant (optimized) random number generator - to shuffle the "cards" and deal from the "deck", + to shuffle the cards and deal from the deck, and some of the salesmen felt it was too fair, since sometimes the customers lost. They wanted Mel to modify the program @@ -21646,12 +21646,12 @@ few spare images it captures more about the esthetics and psychology of hacking than all the scholarly volumes on the subject put together. For an opposing point of view, see the entry for {real programmer}. -[1992 postscript --- the author writes: "The original submission to +[1992 postscript --- the author writes: The original submission to the net was not in free verse, nor any approximation to it --- it was straight prose style, in non-justified paragraphs. In bouncing around the net it apparently got modified into the `free verse' form now popular. In other words, it got hacked on the net. That seems -appropriate, somehow."] +appropriate, somehow.] :Appendix B: A Portrait of J. Random Hacker ******************************************* @@ -21687,7 +21687,7 @@ common. High incidence of tie-dye and intellectual or humorous `slogan' T-shirts (only rarely computer related; that would be too obvious). A substantial minority prefers `outdoorsy' clothing --- hiking boots -("in case a mountain should suddenly spring up in the machine room", as +(in case a mountain should suddenly spring up in the machine room, as one famous parody put it), khakis, lumberjack or chamois shirts, and the like. @@ -21768,8 +21768,8 @@ mathematics, linguistics, and philosophy. IBM mainframes. Smurfs, Ewoks, and other forms of offensive cuteness. Bureaucracies. Stupid people. Easy listening music. Television -(except for cartoons, movies, the old "Star Trek", and the new -"Simpsons"). Business suits. Dishonesty. Incompetence. +(except for cartoons, movies, the old Star Trek, and the new +Simpsons). Business suits. Dishonesty. Incompetence. Boredom. COBOL. BASIC. Character-based menu interfaces. @@ -22036,7 +22036,7 @@ Here are some other books you can read to help you understand the hacker mindset. -:G"odel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: +:Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: Douglas Hofstadter Basic Books, 1979 ISBN 0-394-74502-7 @@ -22061,7 +22061,7 @@ rollercoaster of world-girdling conspiracies, intelligent dolphins, the fall of Atlantis, who really killed JFK, sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, and the Cosmic Giggle Factor. First published in three volumes, but there is now a one-volume trade paperback, carried by most chain bookstores -under SF. The perfect right-brain companion to Hofstadter's `G"odel, +under SF. The perfect right-brain companion to Hofstadter's `Godel, Escher, Bach'. See {Eris}, {Discordianism}, {random numbers}, {Church of the SubGenius}. @@ -22084,9 +22084,9 @@ Infobooks, 1987 ISBN 0-931137-07-1 This gentle, funny spoof of the `Tao Te Ching' contains much that is -illuminating about the hacker way of thought. "When you have learned to +illuminating about the hacker way of thought. When you have learned to snatch the error code from the trap frame, it will be time for you to -leave." +leave. :Hackers: @@ -22097,15 +22097,15 @@ ISBN 0-385-19195-2 Levy's book is at its best in describing the early MIT hackers at the Model Railroad Club and the early days of the microcomputer revolution. He never understood UNIX or the networks, though, and his enshrinement -of Richard Stallman as "the last true hacker" turns out (thankfully) to +of Richard Stallman as the last true hacker turns out (thankfully) to have been quite misleading. Numerous minor factual errors also mar the text; for example, Levy's claim that the original Jargon File derived from the TMRC Dictionary (the File originated at Stanford and was brought to MIT in 1976; the co-authors of the first edition had never seen the dictionary in question). There are also numerous misspellings in the book that inflame the passions of old-timers; as Dan Murphy, the -author of TECO, once said: "You would have thought he'd take the trouble -to spell the name of a winning editor right." Nevertheless, this +author of TECO, once said: You would have thought he'd take the trouble +to spell the name of a winning editor right. Nevertheless, this remains a useful and stimulating book that captures the feel of several important hackish subcultures. @@ -22119,10 +22119,10 @@ This pastiche of Ambrose Bierce's famous work is similar in format to the Jargon File (and quotes several entries from jargon-1) but somewhat different in tone and intent. It is more satirical and less anthropological, and is largely a product of the author's literate and -quirky imagination. For example, it defines `computer science' as "a +quirky imagination. For example, it defines `computer science' as a study akin to numerology and astrology, but lacking the precision of the -former and the success of the latter" and "the boring art of coping with -a large number of trivialities." +former and the success of the latter and the boring art of coping with +a large number of trivialities. :The Devouring Fungus: Tales from the Computer Age: @@ -22158,9 +22158,9 @@ serious hacker while providing non-technical people a view of what day-to-day life can be like --- the fun, the excitement, the disasters. During one period, when the microcode and logic were glitching at the nanosecond level, one of the overworked engineers departed the company, -leaving behind a note on his terminal as his letter of resignation: "I +leaving behind a note on his terminal as his letter of resignation: I am going to a commune in Vermont and will deal with no unit of time -shorter than a season." +shorter than a season. :Life with UNIX: a Guide for Everyone: @@ -22183,7 +22183,7 @@ Baen Books, 1987 ISBN 0-671-65363-6 Hacker demigod Richard Stallman believes the title story of this book -"expresses the spirit of hacking best". This may well be true; it's +expresses the spirit of hacking best. This may well be true; it's certainly difficult to recall a better job. The other stories in this collection are also fine work by an author who is perhaps one of today's very best practitioners of hard SF. @@ -22196,7 +22196,7 @@ ISBN 0-671-68322-5 This book gathers narratives about the careers of three notorious crackers into a clear-eyed but sympathetic portrait of hackerdom's dark -side. The principals are Kevin Mitnick, "Pengo" and "Hagbard" of the +side. The principals are Kevin Mitnick, Pengo and Hagbard of the Chaos Computer Club, and Robert T. Morris (see {RTM}, sense 2) . Markoff and Hafner focus as much on their psychologies and motivations as on the details of their exploits, but don't slight the latter. The