Arthur_P_Bebak@cup.portal.com (02/01/88)
The following is brought to you courtesy of Cyberpunk International. Any
additions are welcome.Send them to {...dexvax, ucbvax, hplabs, seismo,decwrl}!
sun!portal.cup.com!DrOdd and I will post them for the rest of you Cyberspace
jockeys.
Cyberpunk Vocabulary
Big Black - Space. The final frontier. Where no man...you get the idea.
Bit Jockey - Programmer
Chrome - 1) Flash, glitter, bells and whistles, tinsel. Material used to spice
up the appearance of something. 2) Sexy features on a program, not needed for
functionality but radiating style (e.g. a guillotine instead of a trash can
icon).
Cyberspace - 1) The conceptual space within a computer. 2) The conceptual
medium within which computer communication takes place, e.g. Electronic
Bulletin Boards, online services, databases, or in general the program space of
any computer which can run a communication program.
Deep Reality - The real world we live in. As opposed to the realities we create
for ourselves within our minds (e.g. fantasy games) and in our processors (e.g.
Cyberspace).
Glass Teat - TV and video in general. Coined by Harlan Ellison.
Hackware - Software produced by amateurs. Distinguished by the fact that it
works and is ready 2 years before the professional version. Characterized by
non-standard code, lack of comments, and great chrome.
Latch Jockey - Digital hardware designer
Nerdlings - Immature nerds, implying inconsequential, generally annoying.
Pejorative term.
Pods - People who are very much alike in thought, behavior, and appearance.
Pejorative term. Also Podlings - particularly immature variations of the Pods.
Screamsheet - Newspaper, especially one catering to non-issues of the minute
(e.g. USA Today, National Enquirer). Coined by Walter Jon Williams
Spit Jockey - On camera (video) news reader, anchor, host. (also known as
Talking Heads)
Splash - To shoot down. E.g. to splash an idea, or "Splash that bastard!"
Wetware - 1) human augmentation mechanisms based on biochemical methods. E.g.
biochemical processors, custom crafted DNA, custom biological tissue, brain
implants/grafts,mind/body altering drugs (rare). As opposed to hardware which
is based on artificial, physics based methods, e.g. chips. 2) The human brain.
Wirehead - Someone addicted to computers or electronic communication (e.g. a
person who would rather hack then eat or have sex).
Lizard Brain - a cold, calculating, unemotional person, somebody always
running in pure floating point mode (e.g. Mr. Spock).
Mentat - Brainy individual, specifically one who will stare at a problem
without moving for a while and come up with an answer without doing any
apperent intermediate steps (like writing things down)
Ray-Ban Mode - wearing shades.
Reduction - Slang for physical violence (e.g. "Hey asshole, shut down (c.f.)
your screamer (c.f.) or I'll reduce your face!"). See also packing, spindling,
stomping, etc..
Screamer - 1) Slang for mouth (e.g. "Hey asshole, shut down (c.f.) your
screamer!" 2) Something fast, sleek, and sexy, used as an expression of
admiration (e.g. "She/He/It's a real screamer!) 3) Somebody who screams a lot
while being reduced (c.f.) 4) Somebody who screams a lot while being tightly
interfaced (c.f.)
Shortwire - To burn out, flame out, splash down and generally crash mentally.
Shut Down - to shut up, used as an exclimation (e.g. "Hey asshole, shut down!")
Techno Scum - A personally very unpleasent, but technically brilliant
individual.
The Scroll - 1) The constant, unremitting, and overwhelming barrage of
information absorbed by everyone in modern society from the modern media, from
Cyberspace feed, from the grapevine, and from any other means we have of tuning
in to the world state. (E.g. we find out about the latest war in the Middle
East, the latest hardware, the latest vaporware from The Scroll.) 2) The term
used to describe the messages, bulletins, and other data daily being produced
and scrolled off various Cyberspace systems.
Tight Interfacing - Sex