eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (01/04/91)
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X weren't enough of them; you could only type 512 different
X characters on a Stanford keyword. An obvious thing was simply to
X add more shifting keys, and this was eventually done; one problem,
X is that a keyboard with that many shifting keys is hard on
X touch-typists, who don't like to move their hands away from the
X home position on the keyboard. It was half-seriously suggested
X that the extra shifting keys be pedals; typing on such a keyboard
X would be very much like playing a full pipe organ. This idea is
X mentioned below, in a parody of a very fine song by Jeffrey Moss
X called "Rubber Duckie", which was published in "The Sesame
X Street Songbook".
X
X Double Bucky
X
X Double bucky, you're the one!
X You make my keyboard lots of fun.
X Double bucky, an additional bit or two:
X (Vo-vo-de-o!)
X Control and meta, side by side,
X Augmented ASCII, nine bits wide!
X Double bucky! Half a thousand glyphs, plus a few!
X Oh,
X I sure wish that I
X Had a couple of
X Bits more!
X Perhaps a
X Set of pedals to
X Make the number of
X Bits four:
X Double double bucky!
X Double bucky, left and right
X OR'd together, outta sight!
X Double bucky, I'd like a whole word of
X Double bucky, I'm happy I heard of
X Double bucky, I'd like a whole word of you!
X
X --- The Great Quux (with apologies to Jeffrey Moss)
X
X [This is, by the way, an excellent example of computer <filk> --- ESR]
X
X<doubled sig> /duh'b@ld sig/ [USENET] n. A <sig block> that has been
X included twice in a <USENET> article or, less frequently, in an
X electronic mail message. An article or message with a doubled sig
X can be caused by improperly configured software. More often,
X however, it reveals the author's lack of experience in electronic
X communication. See <biff>, <pseudo>.
X
X<down> 1. adj. Not operating. "The up escalator is down." That is
X considered a humorous thing to say, but "The elevator is down"
X always means "The elevator isn't working" and never refers to
X what floor the elevator is on. With repect to computers, this
X usage has passed into the mainstream; the extension to other kinds
X of machine is still hackish. 2. <go down> vi. To stop functioning;
X usually said of the <system>. The message every hacker hates to
X hear from the operator is, "The system will go down in five
X minutes." 3. <take down>, <bring down> vt. To deactivate
X purposely, usually for repair work. "I'm taking the system down to
X work on that bug in the tape drive."
X
X<download> vt. To transfer data or (esp.) code from a larger `host'
X system (esp. a mainframe) over a digital comm link to a smaller
X `client' system, esp. a microcomputer or specialized peripheral
X device. Oppose <upload>.
X
X<DP> n. Data Processing. Listed here because according to hackers,
X use of it marks one immediately as a <suit>. See <DPer>.
X
X<DPB> /duh-pib'/ [from the PDP-10 instruction set] v., obs. To plop
X something down in the middle. Usage: silly. Example: "Dpb
X yourself into that couch, there." The connotation would be that
X the couch is full except for one slot just big enough for you to
X sit in. DPB means "DePosit Byte", and was the name of a PDP-10
X instruction that inserts some bits into the middle of some other
X bits. This usage has been kept alive by the Common Lisp function
X of the same name.
X
X<DPer> n. Data Processor. Hackers are absolutely amazed that <suits>
X use this term self-referentially. "*Computers* process data,
X not people!" See <DP>.
X
X<dragon> n. [MIT] A program similar to a <daemon>, except
X that it is not invoked at all, but is instead used by the system to
X perform various secondary tasks. A typical example would be an
X accounting program, which keeps track of who is logged in,
X accumulates load-average statistics, etc. Under ITS, many
X terminals displayed a list of people logged in, where they are,
X what they're running, etc. along with some random picture (such as
X a unicorn, Snoopy, or the Enterprise) which was generated by the
X "name dragon". Usage: rare outside MIT --- under UNIX and most
X other OSs this would be called a `background <demon>' or <daemon>.
X The best-known UNIX example of a dragon is `cron(1)'. At SAIL they
X called this sort of thing a "phantom".
X
X<Dragon Book> n. Aho, Sethi and Ullman's classic compilers text
X `Principles Of Compiler Design', so called because of the cover
X design depicting a knight slaying a dragon labelled "compiler
X complexity". This actually describes the "Red Dragon Book"; an
X earlier edition (sans Sethi) was the "Green Dragon Book". See
X also <Blue Book>, <Red Book>, <Green Book>, <Silver Book>, <Purple
X Book>, <Orange Book>, <White Book>, <Pink-Shirt Book>, <Aluminum
X Book>.
X
X<drain> [IBM] v. Syn. for <flush> (sense 4).
X
X<dread high bit disease> n. A condition endemic to PRIME (formerly
X PR1ME) minicomputers which results in all the characters having
X their high (0x80) bit ON rather than OFF. This of course makes
X transporting files to other systems much more difficult, not to
X mention talking to true eightbit devices. It is reported that
X PRIME adopted the reversed eight bit convention in order to save 25
X cents/serial line/machine. This probably qualifies as one of the
X most <cretinous> design tradeoffs ever made. See <meta bit>.
X
X<DRECNET> /drek'net/ [fr. Yiddish `dreck'] n. Deliberate distortion of
X DECNET, a networking protocol used in the VMS community. So-called
X because DEC helped write the Ethernet specification, and then
X (either stupidly or as a malignant customer-control tactic)
X violated that spec in the design of DRECNET (among other things,
X they implemented the wrong <heartbeat> speed). See also <connector
X conspiracy>.
X
X<drool-proof paper> n. Documentation which has been obsessively dumbed
X down, to the point where only a <cretin> could bear to read it, is
X said to have succumbed to the "drool-proof paper syndrome" or to
X have been "written on drool-proof paper". For example, this is
X an actual quote from Apple's LaserWriter manual: "Do not expose
X your LaserWriter to open fire or flame."
X
X<drop on the floor> vt. To react to an error condition by silently
X discarding messages or other valuable data. Example: "The gateway
X ran out of memory, so it just started dropping packets on the
X floor." Also frequently used of faulty mail and netnews relay
X sites that lose messages. See also <black hole>.
X
X<drugged> adj., also "on drugs". 1. Conspicuously stupid, heading
X towards <brain-damaged>. Often accompanied by a pantomime of
X toking a joint. 2. Of hardware, very slow relative to normal
X preformance.
X
X<drunk mouse syndrome> n. A malady exhibited by the mouse pointing
X device of some workstations. The typical symptom is for the mouse
X cursor on the screen to move to random directions and not in sync
X with the moving of the actual mouse. Can usually be corrected by
X unplugging the mouse and plugging it back again. Another
X recommended fix is to rotate your optical mouse pad 90 degrees.
X
X<dumbass attack> /duhm'ass @-tak'/ [Purdue] n. A novice's mistake
X made by the experienced, especially one made by running as root
X under UNIX, e.g. typing "rm *" or mkfs on a mounted file system.
X Compare <adger>.
X
X<dusty deck> n. Old software (especially applications) with which one
X is obliged to remain compatible. The term implies that the
X software in question is a holdover from card-punch days. Used esp.
X when referring to old scientific and number-crunching software,
X much of which was written in FORTRAN and very poorly documented but
X would be too expensive to replace. See <fossil>.
X
X<DWIM> /dwim/ [Do What I Mean] 1. adj. Able to guess, sometimes even
X correctly, what result was intended when provided with bogus input.
X Often suggested in jest as a desired feature for a complex program;
X also occasionally described as the single instruction the ideal
X computer would have (back when proof of program correctness were in
X vogue, there were also jokes about <DWIMC>: Do What I Mean,
X Correctly). A related term, more often seen as a verb, is DTRT (Do
X The Right Thing), see <Right Thing, The>. 2. n.,obs. The INTERLISP
X function that attempted to accomplish this feat by correcting many
X of the more common errors. See <hairy>.
X
X<dynner> /din'r/ 32 bits, by analogy with <nybble> and byte. Usage:
X rare and extremely silly. See also <playte>, <taste>, <crumb>.
X
X {= E =}
X
X<earthquake> [IBM] n. The ultimate real-world shock test for computer
X hardware. Hacker sources at IBM deny the rumor that the Bay Area
X quake of 1989 was initiated by the company to test QA at its
X California plants.
X
X<Easter egg> n. 1. A message hidden in the object code of a program as
X a joke, intended to be found by persons disassembling or browsing
X the code. 2. A message, graphic, or sound-effect emitted by a
X program (or, on a PC, the BIOS ROM) in response to some
X undocumented set of commands or keystrokes, intended as a joke or
X to display program credits. One well-known early Easter egg found
X in a couple of OSs caused them to respond to the command `make
X love' with `not war?'. Many personal computers (other than the IBM
X PC) have much more elaborate eggs hidden in ROM, including lists of
X the developers' names, political exhortations, snatches of music,
X and (in one case) graphics images of the entire development team.
X
X<Easter egging> [IBM] n. The act of replacing unrelated parts more or
X less at random in hopes that a malfunction will go away. Hackers
X consider this the normal operating mode of <field circus> techs and
X do not love them for it.
X
X<eat flaming death> imp. A construction popularized among hackers by
X the infamous <DEC WARS> comic; supposed to derive from a famously
X turgid line in a WWII-era anti-Nazi propaganda comic in which X was
X "non-Aryan mongrels" or something of the sort. Used in
X humorously overblown expressions of hostility. "Eat flaming death,
X EBCDIC users!"
X
X<eighty-column mind> [IBM] n. The sort said to be employed by persons
X for whom the transition from card to tape was traumatic (nobody has
X dared tell them about disks yet). It is said that these people,
X like (according to an old joke) the founder of IBM, will be buried
X `9-EDGE-FORWARD-FACE-DOWN'. These people are thought by most
X hackers to dominate IBM's customer base, and its thinking.
X
X<El Camino Bignum> /el' k@-mee'noh big'num/ n. El Camino Real. El
X Camino Real is the name of a street through the San Francisco
X peninsula that originally extended (and still appears in places)
X all the way down to Mexico City. Navigation on the San Francisco
X peninsula is usually done relative to El Camino Real, which is
X assumed to run north and south even though it doesn't really in
X many places (see <logical>). El Camino Real runs right past
X Stanford University, and so is familiar to hackers. The Spanish
X word "real" (which has two syllables (ray-ahl')) means "royal";
X El Camino Real is "the royal road". Now the English word
X "real" is used in mathematics to describe numbers (and by analogy
X is misused in computer jargon to mean floating-point numbers). In
X the FORTRAN language, for example, a "real" quantity is a number
X typically precise to seven decimal places, and a "double
X precision" quantity is a larger floating-point number, precise to
X perhaps fourteen decimal places. When a hacker from MIT visited
X Stanford in 1976 or so, he remarked what a long road El Camino Real
X was. Making a pun on "real", he started calling it "El Camino
X Double Precision" --- but when the hacker was told that the road
X was hundreds of miles long, he renamed it "El Camino Bignum", and
X that name has stuck. (See <bignum>.)
X
X<elegant> [from mathematical usage] adj. Combining simplicity, power,
X and a certain ineffable grace of design. Higher praise than
X `clever', `winning' or even <cuspy>.
X
X<elephantine> adj. Used of programs or systems which are both
X conspicuous <hog>s (due perhaps to poor design founded on <brute
X force and ignorance>) and exceedingly <hairy> in source form. An
X elephantine program may be functional and even friendly, but (like
X the old joke about being in bed with an elephant) it's tough to
X have around all the same, esp. a bitch to maintain. In extreme
X cases, hackers have been known to make trumpeting sounds or perform
X expressive zoomorphic mime at the mention of the offending program.
X Usage: semi-humorous. Compare "has the elephant nature" and the
X somewhat more pejorative <monstrosity>. See also <second-system
X effect> and <baroque>.
X
X<EMACS> /ee'maks/ [from Editing MACroS] n. The ne plus ultra of hacker
X editors, a program editor with an entire LISP interpreter inside
X it. Originally written by Richard Stallman in <TECO> at the MIT-AI
X lab, but the most widely used versions now run under UNIX. It
X includes facilities to run compilation subprocesses and send and
X receive mail; many hackers spend up to 80% of their tube time
X inside it. Some versions running under window managers iconify as
X a kitchen sink, perhaps to suggest the one feature the editor
X doesn't include. Indeed, some hackers find EMACS too heavyweight
X and baroque for their taste, and expand the name as "Escape Meta
X Alt Control Shift" to spoof its heavy reliance on complex
X bucky-bitted keystrokes. Other spoof expansions include Eight
X Megabytes And Constantly Swapping, Eventually malloc()s All
X Computer Storage, and EMACS Makes A Computer Slow (see <RECURSIVE
X ACRONYMS>). See also <vi>.
X
X<email> /ee-mayl/ vt.,n. Electronic mail automatically passed through
X computer networks and/or via modems common-carrier lines. Contrast
X <snail-mail>. See <network address>.
X
X<emoticon> /ee-moh'ti-cahn/ n. An ASCII glyph used to indicate an
X emotional state in email or news. Hundreds have been proposed, but
X only a few are in common use. These include:
X
X :-) Smiley face (indicates laughter)
X :-( Frowney face (indicates sadness, anger or upset)
X ;-) Half-smiley (ha ha only serious)
X Also known as "semi-smiley" or "winkey face".
X :-/ Wry face
X
X Of these, the first two are by far the most frequently encountered.
X Hyphenless forms of them are common on CompuServe, GEnie and BIX;
X see also <bixie>. On <USENET>, "smiley" is often used as a
X generic (synonym for emoticon) as well as specifically for the
X happy-face emoticon.
X
X Note for the <newbie>: overuse of the smiley is a mark of
X loserhood! More than one per paragraph is a fairly sure sign that
X you've gone over the line.
X
X<empire> n. Any of a family of military simulations derived from a
X game written by Peter Langston many years ago. There are 5 or 6
X multi-player variants of varying degrees of sophistication, and one
X single-player version implemented for both UNIX and VMS which is
X even available as MS-DOS freeware. All are notoriously addictive.
X
X<English> /ing'lish/ n.,obs. The source code for a program, which may
X be in any language, as opposed to <binary>. The idea behind the
X term is that to a real hacker, a program written in his favorite
X programming language is as readable as English. Usage: obsolete,
X used mostly by old-time hackers, though recognizable in context.
X
X<ENQ> /enkw/ [from the ASCII mnemonic for 0000101] 1. An on-line
X convention for querying someone's availability. After opening a
X <talk mode> connection to someone apparently in heavy hack mode,
X one might type "SYN SYN ENQ?" (the SYNs representing notional
X synchronization bytes) expecting a return of <ACK> or NAK depending
X on whether or not the person felt interruptible. See <ACK>;
X compare <ping>, <finger>, and the usage of `FOO?' listed under
X <talk mode>.
X
X<EOF> /ee-oh-ef/ [UNIX/C] n. End Of File. 1. Refers esp. to whatever
X pseudo-character value is returned by C's sequential input
X functions (and their equivalents in other environments) when the
X logical end of file has been reached (this was 0 under V6 UNIX, is
X -1 under V7 and all subsequent versions and all non-UNIX C library
X implementations). 2. Used by extension in non-computer contexts
X when a human is doing something that can be modelled as a
X sequential read and can't go further. "Yeah, I looked for a list
X of 360 mnemonics to post as a joke, but I hit <EOF> pretty fast,
X all the library had was a JCL manual."
X
X<EOU> /ee oh yoo/ The mnemonic of a mythical ASCII control character
X (End Of User) that could make a Model 33 Teletype explode on
X receipt. This parodied the numerous obscure record-delimiter
X control characters left in ASCII from the days when it was more
X associated with wire-service teletypes than computers (e.g. FS, GS,
X RS, US, EM, SUB, ETX and esp. EOT). It is worth remembering that
X ASR-33s were big, noisy mechanical beasts with a lot of clattering
X parts; the notion that one might explode was nowhere near as
X ridiculous as it might seem to someone sitting in front of a <tube>
X or flatscreen today.
X
X<epoch, the> [UNIX] n. The time and date corresponding to zero in an
X operating system's clock and timestamp values. Under most UNIX
X versions, 00:00 of January 1st 1970 GMT. System time is measured
X in seconds or <tick>s past the epoch. See <tick>s, <wall time>.
X Note that weird problems may ensue when the clock wraps around (see
X <wrap around>), and that this is not a necessarily a rare event; on
X systems counting 10 <tick>s per second, a 32 bit count of ticks is
X only good for 6.8 years. The 1-per-second clock of UNIX is good
X until January 18, 2038, assuming word lengths don't increase by
X then.
X
X<epsilon> [from standard mathematical notation for a small quantity]
X 1. n. A small quantity of anything. "The cost is epsilon." 2.
X adj. Very small, negligible; less than marginal. "We can get
X this feature for epsilon cost." 3. <within epsilon of>: close
X enough to be indistinguishable for all practical purposes. this is
X even closer than being <within delta of>. Example: "That's not
X what I asked for, but it's within epsilon of what I wanted."
X Alternatively, it may mean not close enough, but very little is
X required to get it there: "My program is within epsilon of
X working." See <asymptotic>.
X
X<epsilon squared> n. A quantity even smaller than <epsilon>, as small
X in comparison to it as it is to something normal. If you buy a
X supercomputer for a million dollars, the cost of the
X thousand-dollar terminal to go with it is <epsilon>, and the cost
X of the ten-dollar cable to connect the two is <epsilon squared>.
X
X<era, the> Syn. <epoch>. The Webster's Unabridged makes these words
X almost synonymous, but "era" usually connotes a span of time
X rather than a point in time. The <epoch> usage is recommended.
X
X<Eric Conspiracy> n. Notional group of mustachioed hackers named Eric
X first pinpointed as a sinister conspiracy by an infamous
X talk.bizarre posting c. 1986; this was doubtless influenced by the
X numerous `Eric' jokes in the Monty Python oeuvre. There do indeed
X seem to be considerably more mustachioed Erics in hackerdom than
X the frequency of these three traits can account for unless they are
X correlated in some arcane way. Well known examples include Eric
X Allman of <BSD> fame, Erik Fair (coauthor of NNTP); your editor has
X heard from about fourteen others by email, and the organization
X line `Eric Conspiracy Secret Laboratories' now emanates regularly
X from more than one site.
X
X<Eris> /e'r@s/ pn. The Greco-Roman goddess of Chaos, Discord,
X Confusion and Things You Know Not Of; aka Discordia. Not a very
X friendly deity in the Classical original, she was re-invented as a
X more benign personification of creative anarchy starting in 1959 by
X the adherents of <Discordianism> and has since been a semi-serious
X subject of veneration in several `fringe' cultures including
X hackerdom. See <Discordianism>, <Church of the Sub-Genius>.
X
X<erotics> /ee-ro'tiks/ n. Reported from Scandinavia as
X English-language university slang for electronics. Often used by
X hackers, maybe because of its exciting aspects.
X
X<essentials> n. Things necessary to maintain a productive and secure
X hacking environment. "A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, a
X 20-megahertz 80386 box with 8 meg of core and a 300-megabyte disk
X supporting full UNIX with source and X windows and EMACS and UUCP
X to a friendly Internet site, and thou."
X
X<evil> adj. As used by hackers, implies that some system, program,
X person or institution is sufficiently mal-designed as to be not
X worth the bother of dealing with. Unlike the adjectives in the
X <cretinous>/<losing>/<brain-damaged> series, "evil" does not
X imply incompetence or bad design, but rather a set of goals or
X design criteria fatally incompatible with the speaker's. This is
X more an esthetic and engineering judgement than a moral one in the
X mainstream sense. "We thought about adding a <Blue Glue> interface
X but decided it was too evil to deal with." "<TECO> is neat, but
X it can be pretty evil if you're prone to typos." Often pronounced
X with the first syllable lengthened, as /eeeevil/.
X
X<exa-> /ex'ga/ pref. See <kilo>.
X
X<examining the entrails> n. The process of rooting through a core dump
X or hex image in the attempt to discover the bug that brought your
X program or system down. Compare <runes>, <incantation>, <black
X art>.
X
X<EXCH> /eks'ch@, ekstch/ vt. To exchange two things, each for the
X other; to swap places. If you point to two people sitting down and
X say "Exch!", you are asking them to trade places. <EXCH>,
X meaning EXCHange, was originally the name of a PDP-10 instruction
X that exchanged the contents of a register and a memory location.
X Many newer hackers tend to be thinking instead of of the Postscript
X exchange operator.
X
X<excl> /eks'kl/ n. Abbreviation for "exclamation point". See
X <bang>, <shriek>, <wow>.
X
X<EXE> /ex'ee/ An executable binary file. Some operating systems
X (notably MS-DOS and VMS) use the extension .EXE to mark such files.
X This usage is also occasionally found among UNIX programmers even
X though UNIX executables don't have any required extension (in fact,
X the term "extension" in this sense is not part of UNIX jargon).
X
X<exec> /eg'zek/ [shortened from "executive" or "execute"] vt.,n.
X 1. [UNIX] Synonym for <chain>, derives from the `exec(2)' call. 2.
X (obs) The command interpreter for an <OS> (see <shell>); term esp.
X used on mainframes, and prob. derived from UNIVAC's archaic EXEC 2
X and EXEC 8 operating systems.
X
X<exercise, left as an> [Technical reference books] Used to complete a
X proof when one doesn't mind a <handwave>, or to avoid one entirely.
X The complete phrase is: "The proof (or rest) is left as an
X exercise for the reader."
X
X {= F =}
X
X<fall over> [IBM] vi. Yet another synonym for <crash> or <lose>.
X `Fall over hard' equates to <crash and burn>.
X
X<fall through> vt. 1. To exit a loop by exhaustion, i.e. by having
X fulfilled its exit condition rather than via a break or exception
X condition that exits from the middle of it. This usage appears to
X be *really* old, as in dating from the '40s and '50s. It may
X no longer be live slang. 2. To fail a test that would have passed
X control to a subroutine or other distant portion of code. 2. In C,
X `fall-through' is said to occur when the flow of execution in a
X switch statement reaches a `case' label other than by jumping there
X from the switch header, passing a point where one would normally
X expect to find a `break'. A trivial example:
X
X switch (color)
X {
X case GREEN:
X do_green();
X break;
X case PINK:
X do_pink();
X
X case RED:
X do_red();
X break;
X default:
X do_blue();
X break;
X }
X
X The effect of this code is to do_green() when color is GREEN,
X do_red() when color is RED, do_blue() on any other color than PINK,
X and (this is the important part) do_pink() and *then* do_red()
X when color is PINK. Fall-through is <considered harmful> by some;
X among those who use it, it is considered good practice to include a
X comment highlighting the fall through, at the point one would
X normally expect a break.
X
X<fandango on core> [UNIX/C hackers, from the Mexican dance] n. In C, a
X wild pointer that runs out of bounds causing a <core dump>, or
X corrupts the `malloc(3)' <arena> in such a way as to cause mysterious
X failures later on, is sometimes said to have `done a fandango on
X core'. On low-end personal machines without an MMU this can
X corrupt the OS itself, causing massive lossage. Other third-world
X dances such as the rhumba, cha-cha or watusi may be substituted.
X See <aliasing bug>, <precedence lossage>, <smash the stack>,
X <memory leak>, <overrun screw>, <core>.
X
X<FAQ list> /ef-ay-kyoo list/ [Usenix] n. Compendium of accumulated
X lore, posted periodically to high-volume newsgroups in an attempt
X to forestall Frequently Asked Questions. The jargon file itself
X serves as a good example of a collection of one kind of lore,
X although it is far too big for a regular posting. Several extant
X FAQ lists do (or should) make reference to the jargon file. "How
X do you pronounce `char'?" and "What's that funny name for the `#'
X character?" are, for example, both Frequently Asked Questions.
X
X<farming> [Adelaide University, Australia] n. What the heads of a
X Winchester are said to do when the plow little furrows in the
X magnetic media. Associated with a <crash>. Typically used as
X follows: "Oh no, the machine has just crashed, I hope the hard
X drive hasn't gone <farming> again."
X
X<fascist> adj. Said of a computer system with excessive or annoying
X security barriers, usage limits or access policies. The
X implication is that said policies are preventing hackers from
X getting interesting work done. The variant "fascistic" seems to
X have been preferred at MIT, poss. by analogy with "touristic"
X (see <tourist>).
X
X<faulty> adj. Non-functional; buggy. Same denotation as
X "bagbiting", "bletcherous", "losing", q.v., but the
X connotation is much milder.
X
X<fd leak> /ef dee leek/ n. A kind of programming bug analogous to a
X <core leak>, in which a program fails to close file descriptors
X ("fd"s) after file operations are completed, and thus eventually
X runs out. See <leak>.
X
X<fear and loathing> [from Hunter Thompson] n. State inspired by the
X prospect of dealing with certain real-world systems and standards
X which are totally <brain-damaged> but ubiquitous --- Intel 8086s,
X or COBOL, or any IBM machine except the Rios (aka the RS/6000).
X "Ack. They want PCs to be able to talk to the AI machine. Fear
X and loathing time!" See also IBM.
X
X<feature> n. 1. An intended property or behavior (as of a program).
X Whether it is good or not is immaterial. 2. A good property or
X behavior (as of a program). Whether it was intended or not is
X immaterial. 3. A surprising property or behavior; in particular,
X one that is purposely inconsistent because it works better that
X way. For example, in some versions of the <EMACS> text editor, the
X "transpose characters" command exchanges the two characters on
X either side of the cursor on the screen, *except* when the
X cursor is at the end of a line, in which case the two characters
X before the cursor are exchanged. While this behavior is perhaps
X surprising, and certainly inconsistent, it has been found through
X extensive experimentation to be what most users want; the
X inconsistency is therefore a <feature> and not a <bug>. 4. A
X property or behavior that is gratuitous or unnecessary, though
X perhaps also impressive or cute. For example, one feature of the
X MACLISP language is the ability to print numbers as Roman numerals.
X See <bells and whistles>. 5. A property or behavior that was put
X in to help someone else but that happens to be in your way. 6. A
X <bug> that has been documented. To call something a feature
X sometimes means the author of the program did not consider the
X particular case, and the program responded in a way that was
X unexpected, but not strictly incorrect. A standard joke is that a
X <bug> can be turned into a <feature> simply by documenting it (then
X theoretically no one can complain about it because it's in the
X manual), or even by simply declaring it to be good. "That's not a
X bug, that's a feature!" See also <feetch feetch>.
X
X<feature creature> n. One who loves to add features to designs or
X programs, perhaps at the expense of coherence, concision, or
X <taste>. See also <creeping featurism>.
X
X<featurectomy> /fee`ch@r-ek'to-mee/ n. The act of removing a feature
X from a program. Featurectomies generally come in two varieties,
X the "righteous" and the "reluctant". Righteous featurectomies
X are performed because the remover believes the program would be
X more elegant without the feature, or there is already an equivalent
X and "better" way to achieve the same end. (This is not quite the
X same thing as removing a <misfeature>.) Reluctant featurectomies
X are performed to satisfy some external constraint such as code size
X or execution speed.
X
X<feep> /feep/ 1. n. The soft bell of a display terminal (except for a
X VT-52!); a beep (in fact, the microcomputer world seems to prefer
X <beep>). 2. vi. To cause the display to make a feep sound. TTY's
X do not have feeps; they have mechanical bells that ring. Alternate
X forms: <beep>, <bleep>, or just about anything suitably
X onomatopoeic. (Jeff Macnelly, in his comic strip `Shoe', uses
X the word `eep' for sounds made by computer terminals and video
X games; this is perhaps the closest written approximation yet.) The
X term <beedle> was sometimes heard at SAIL, where the terminal
X bleepers are not particularly "soft" (they sound more like the
X musical equivalent of a raspberry or Bronx cheer; for a close
X approximation, imagine the sound of a Star Trek communicator's beep
X lasting for five seconds.). The "feeper" on a VT-52 has been
X compared to the sound of a '52 Chevy stripping its gears. See also
X <ding>.
X
X<feeper> /fee'pr/ n. The device in a terminal or workstation (usually
X a loudspeaker of some kind) that makes the <feep> sound.
X
X<feeping creaturitis> /fee'ping kree`ch@r-ie'tis/ n. Deliberate
X spoonerization of <creeping featuritis>, meant to imply that the
X system or program in question has become a misshapen creature of
X hacks.This term isn't really well-defined, but it sounds so neat
X that most hackers have said or heard it. It is probably reinforced
X by an image of terminals prowling about in the dark making their
X customary noises.
X
X<feetch feetch> interj. If someone tells you about some new
X improvement to a program, you might respond, "Feetch, feetch!"
X The meaning of this depends critically on vocal inflection. With
X enthusiasm, it means something like, "Boy, that's great! What a
X great hack!" Grudgingly or with obvious doubt, it means "I don't
X know; it sounds like just one more unnecessary and complicated
X thing." With a tone of resignation, it means, "Well, I'd rather
X keep it simple, but I suppose it has to be done."
X
X<fencepost error> n. 1. The discrete equivalent of a boundary
X condition. Often exhibited in programs by iterative loops. From
X the following problem: "If you build a fence 100 feet long with
X posts ten feet apart, how many posts do you need?" (Either 9 or
X 11 is a better answer than the obvious 10.) For example, suppose
X you have a long list or array of items, and want to process items m
X through n; how many items are there? The obvious answer is n - m,
X but that is off by one; the right answer is n - m + 1. A program
X that used the "obvious" formula would have a fencepost error in
X it. See also <off-by-one error>, and note that not all off-by-one
X errors are fencepost errors. The game of Musical Chairs involves
X an off-by-one problem where N people try to sit in N-1 chairs, but
X it's not a fencepost error. Fencepost errors come from counting
X things rather than the spaces between them, or vice versa, or by
X neglecting to consider whether one should count one or both ends of
X a row. 2. Occasionally, an error induced by unexpectedly regular
X spacing of inputs, which can (for instance) screw up your hash
X table.
X
X<field circus> [a derogatory pun on "field service"] n. The field
X service organization of any hardware manufacturer, but especially
X DEC. There is an entire genre of jokes about DEC field circus
X engineers:
X
X Q: How can you recognize a DEC field circus engineer with a flat tire?
X A: He's changing each tires to see which one is flat.
X
X Q: How can you recognize a DEC field circus engineer who is out of
X gas?
X A: He's changing each tires to see which one is flat.
X
X<field servoid> /fee'@ld ser'void/ n. Representative of a Field Service
X organisation (see <field circus>).
X
X<filk> /filk/ [from SF fandom, where a typo for "folk" was adopted
X as a new word] n.,v. A "filk" is a popular or folk song with
X lyrics revised or completely new lyrics, intended for humorous
X effect when read and/or to be sung late at night at SF conventions.
X There is a flourishing subgenre of these called "computer filks",
X written by hackers and often containing technical humor of quite
X sophisticated nature. See <double bucky> for an example.
X
X<film at 11> [MIT, in parody of TV newscasters], interj. Used in
X conversation to announce ordinary events, with a sarcastic
X implication that these events are earth-shattering. "<ITS>
X crashes; film at 11." "Bug found in scheduler; film at 11."
X
X<filter> [orig. UNIX, now also in <MS-DOS>] n. A program which
X processes an input text stream into an output text stream in some
X well-defined way, and does no I/O to anywhere else except possibly
X on error conditions; one designed to be used as a stage in a
X <pipeline>.
X
X<fine> [WPI] adj. Good, but not good enough to be <cuspy>. The word
X "fine" is used elsewhere, of course, but without the implicit
X comparison to the higher level implied by <cuspy>.
X
X<finger> [SAIL's mutant TOPS-10, via BSD UNIX] 1. n. A program that
X displays a particular user or all users logged on the system or a
X remote system. Typically shows full name, last login time, idle
X time, terminal line and terminal location. May also display a
X "plan file" left by the user. 2. vt. To apply finger to a
X username. 3. vt. By extension, to check a human's current state by
X any means. "Foodp?" "T!" "OK, finger Lisa and see if she's
X idle". 4. Any picture (composed of ASCII characters) depicting
X "the finger". Originally a humorous component of one's "plan
X file" to deter the curious fingerer (sense #2), it has entered the
X arsenal of some <flamer>s.
X
X<firebottle> n. A large, primitive, power-hungry active electrical
X device, similar to an FET constructed out of glass, metal, and
X vacuum. Characterized by high cost, low density, low reliability,
X high-temperature operation, and high power dissipation. Sometimes
X mistakenly called a "tube" in the U.S. or a "valve" in England.
X
X<firefighting> n. The act of throwing lots of manpower and late nights
X at a project to get it out before deadline. See also <gang bang>;
X however, <firefighting> connotes that the effort is going into
X chasing bugs rather than adding features.
X
X<firewall machine> n. A dedicated gateway machine with special
X security precautions on it, used to service outside
X network/mail/news connections and/or accept remote logins for (read
X only) shared-file-system access via FTP. The idea is to protect a
X cluster of more loosely administered machines `hidden' behind it
X from crackers. The typical `firewall' is an inexpensive
X micro-based UNIX box kept clean of critical data, with a bunch of
X modems and public network ports on it but just one carefully
X watched connection back to the rest of the cluster. The special
X precautions may include threat monitoring, callback, and even a
X complete <iron box> keyable to particular incoming IDs or activity
X patterns. Syn. <flytrap>, <venus flytrap>.
X
X<fireworks mode> n. The mode a machine is sometimes said to be in when
X it is performing a <crash and burn> operation.
X
X<firmware> n. Software installed into a computer-based piece of
X equipment on ROM. So-called because it's harder to change than
X software but easier than hardware.
X
X<fish> [Adelaide University, Australia] n. Another metasyntactic
X variable. See <foo>. Derived originally from the Monty-Python
X skit in the middle of "The Meaning of Life", entitled "Find the
X fish".
X
X<flag> n. A variable or quantity that can take on one of two values; a
X bit, particularly one that is used to indicate one of two outcomes
X or is used to control which of two things is to be done. Examples:
X "This flag controls whether to clear the screen before printing
X the message." "The program status word contains several flag
X bits." See also <bit>, <hidden flag>.
X
X<flag day> n. A software change which is neither forward nor backward
X compatible, and which is costly to make and costly to revert.
X "Can we install that without causing a flag day for all users?"
X This term has nothing to do with the use of the word <flag> to mean
X a variable that has two values. It came into use when a massive
X change was made to the <Multics> timesharing system to convert from
X the old ASCII code to the new one; this was scheduled for Flag Day,
X June 14, 1966.
X
X<flaky> adj. (var sp. `flakey') Subject to frequent lossages. See
X <lossage>. This use is of course related to the common slang use
X of the word, to describe a person as eccentric or crazy. A system
X that is flaky is working, sort of, enough that you are tempted to
X try to use it, but it fails frequently enough that the odds in
X favor of finishing what you start are low. Commonwealth hackish
X prefers <dodgy>.
X
X<flamage> /flay'm@j/ n. High-noise, low-signal postings to <USENET>
X or other electronic fora. Often in the phrase "the usual
X flamage".
X
X<flame> 1. vi. To speak incessantly and/or rabidly on some relatively
X uninteresting subject or with a patently ridiculous attitude. When
X a discussion degenerates into useless controversy, one might tell
X the participants, "Now you're just flaming" or "Stop all that
X flamage!" to try to get them to cool down (so to speak). 2. To
X post an email message intended to insult and provoke. <FLAME ON>:
X vi. To continue to flame. See <rave>, <burble>. The punning
X reference to Marvel comics's Human Torch has been lost as recent
X usage completes the circle: "Flame on" now usually means
X "beginning of flame".
X
X A USENETter who was at WPI from 1972 to 1976 adds: I am 99% certain
X that the use of "flame" originated at WPI. Those who made a
X nuisance of themselves insisting that they needed to use a TTY for
X "real work" came to be known as "flaming asshole lusers".
X Other, particularly annoying people became "flaming asshole
X ravers", which shortened to "flaming ravers", and ultimately
X "flamers". I remember someone picking up on the Human Torch pun,
X but I don't think "flame on/off" was ever much used at WPI. See
X also <asbestos cork award>.
X
X<flame bait> n. A posting intended to trigger a <flame war>, or one
X which invites flames in reply.
X
X<flame war> n. Acrimonious dispute, especially when conducted on a
X public electronic forum such as <USENET>. Often merged to one
X word, <flamewar>.
X
X<flamer> n. One who habitually flames others. Said esp. of obnoxious
X <USENET> personalities.
X
X<flap> vt. 1. To unload a DECtape (so it goes flap, flap, flap...).
X Old hackers at MIT tell of the days when the disk was device 0 and
X microtapes were 1, 2,... and attempting to flap device 0 would
X instead start a motor banging inside a cabinet near the disk! 2.
X By extension, to unload any magnetic tape. See <microtape>,
X <macrotape>. Modern cartridge tapes no longer actually flap, but
X the usage has remained.
X
X<flat-ASCII> adj. Said of a text file wich contains only 7-bit ASCII
X characters and uses only ASCII-standard control characters (that
X is, has no embedded codes specific to a particular text formatter
X or markup language, and no <META>-characters. Syn. <plain-ASCII>.
X
X<flatten> v. To remove structural information, esp. to filter
X something with an implicit tree structure into a simple sequence of
X leaves. "This code flattens an expression with parentheses into
X an equivalent <canonical> form."
X
X<flavor> n. 1. Variety, type, kind. "DDT commands come in two
X flavors." "These lights come in two flavors, big red ones and
X small green ones." See <vanilla>. 2. The attribute that causes
X something to be <flavorful>. Usually used in the phrase "yields
X additional flavor." "This convention yields additional flavor by
X allowing one to print text either right-side-up or upside-down."
X See <vanilla>. This usage is almost certainly influenced by
X accepted terminology in particle physics, in which quarks (the
X constituents of e.g. protons) come in six flavors (up, down,
X strange, charm, top, bottom) and three colors (red, blue, green)
X --- however, its use at MIT almost certainly predated quark theory.
X
X<flavorful> adj. Aesthetically pleasing. See <random> and <losing>
X for antonyms. See also the entries for <taste> and <elegant>.
X
X<flippy> /flip'ee/ n. A single-side floppy disk altered for
X double-sided use by addition of a second write-notch, so called
X because it must be flipped over for the second side to be
X accessible. No longer common.
X
X<flush> v. 1. To delete something, usually superfluous. "All that
X nonsense has been flushed." Standard ITS terminology for aborting
X an output operation (but note sense 4 below!); one speaks of the
X text that would have been printed, but was not, as having been
X flushed. Under ITS, if you asked to have a file printed on your
X terminal, it was printed a page at a time; at the end of each page,
X it asked whether you want to see more, and if you said no, it
X replied "FLUSHED". (It is speculated that this term arose from a
X vivid image of flushing unwanted characters by hosing down the
X internal output buffer, washing the characters away before they can
X be printed.) 2. To leave at the end of a day's work (as opposed to
X leaving for a meal). "I'm going to flush now." "Time to
X flush." 3. To exclude someone from an activity, or to ignore a
X person. 4. [UNIX/C] To force buffered I/O to disk, as with an
X `fflush(3)' call. This is *not* an abort as in sense 1 but a
X demand for early completion! UNIX hackers find the ITS usage
X confusing and vice versa.
X
X<flytrap> n. See <firewall machine>.
X
X<FOAF> [USENET] n. Written-only acronym for Friend Of A Friend. The
X source of an unverified, possibly untrue story. This was not
X originated by hackers (it is used in Jan Brundvent's books on urban
X folklore) but is much better recognized on USENET and elsewhere
X than in the mainstream.
X
X<foo> /foo/ 1. interj. Term of disgust. 2. Name used for temporary
X programs, or samples of three-letter names. Other similar words
X are <bar>, <baz> (Stanford corruption of <bar>), and rarely RAG.
X 3. Used very generally as a sample name for absolutely anything.
X 4. First on the standard list of metasyntactic variables used in
X syntax examples. See also: <bar>, <baz>, <qux>, <quux>, <QUUUX>,
X <corge>, <grault>, <garply>, <waldo>, <fred>, <plugh>, <xyzzy>.
X <moby foo>: See <moby>.
X
X <foo> is the <canonical> example of a `metasyntactic variable'; a
X name used in examples and understood to stand for whatever thing is
X under discussion, or any random member of a class of things under
X discussion. To avoid confusion, hackers never use `foo' or other
X words like it as permanent names for anything.
X
X The etymology of hackish "foo" is obscure. When used in
X connection with "bar" it is generally traced to the WWII-era army
X slang acronym FUBAR (Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition), later
X expurgated to <foobar> and then truncated.
X
X However, the use of the word "foo" itself has more complicated
X antecedents, including a long history in comic strips and cartoons.
X The old `Smokey Stover' comic strips by Bill Holman often
X included the word "FOO", in particular on license plates of cars;
X allegedly, "FOO" and "BAR" also occurred in Walt Kelly's
X `Pogo' strips. In a 1938 cartoon Daffy Duck holds up a sign
X saying "SILENCE IS FOO!". It is even possible that hacker usage
X actually springs from the title `FOO, Lampoons and Parody' of
X a comic book first issued 20 years later, in September 1958; the
X byline read "C. Crumb" but this may well have been a sort-of
X pseudonym for noted weird-comix artist Robert Crumb. The title FOO
X was featured in large letters on the front cover.
X
X Very probably hackish "foo" had no single origin and derives
X through all these channels from Yiddish "feh", or English
X "fooey!".
X
X<foobar> n. Another common metasyntactic variable; see <foo>.
X
X<fool> n. As used by hackers, specifically describes a person who
X habitually reasons from obviously or demonstrably incorrect
X premises and cannot be persuaded to do otherwise by evidence; it is
X not generally used in its other senses, i.e. to describe a person
X with a native incapacity to reason correctly, or a clown. Indeed,
X in hackish experience many fools are capable of reasoning all too
X effectively in executing their errors. See also <cretin>, <loser>.
X
X<footprint> n. 1. The floor or desk area taken up by a piece of
X hardware. 2. [IBM] The audit trail (if any) left by a crashed
X program (often in plural, `footprints').
X
X<for the rest of us> [Mac slogan] adj. Used to describe a <spiffy>
X product whose affordability shames other comparable products, or
X (more often) used sarcastically to describe <spiffy>, but very
X overpriced products.
X
X<foreground> [UNIX] adj.,vt. On a time-sharing system, a task
X executing in foreground is one able to accept input from and return
X output to the user; oppose <background>. Normally, there is only
X one foreground task per terminal (or terminal window); having
X multiple processes simultaneously reading the keyboard is a good
X way to <lose>. By extension, "to foreground" a task is to bring
X it to the top of one's <stack> for immediate processing, and in
X this sense hackers often use it for non-computer tasks.
X
X<forked> [UNIX] adj. Terminally slow, or dead. Originated when the
X system slowed to incredibly bad speeds due to a process recursively
X spawning copies of itself (using the Unix system call `fork(2)')
X and taking up all the process table entries.
X
X<fortune cookie> [UNIX] n. A random quote, item of trivia, joke or
X maxim printed to the user's tty at login time or (less commonly) at
X logout time. Items from this jargon file have often been used as
X fortune cookies.
X
X<fossil> n. 1. In software, a misfeature that becomes understandable
X only in historical context, as a remnant of times past retained so
X as not to break compatibility. Example: the retention of octal as
X default base for string escapes in C in spite of the better match
X of hexadecimal to modern byte-addressable architectures. See
X <dusty deck>. 2. More restrictively, a feature with past but no
X present utility. Example: the force-all-caps (LCASE) bits in the
X V7 and <BSD UNIX> tty driver, designed for use with monocase
X terminals. In a perversion of the usual backwards compatibility
X goal, this functionality has actually been expanded and renamed in
X some later <USG UNIX> releases as the IUCLC and OLCUC bits.
X
X<fred> n. The personal name most frequently used as a metasyntactic
X variable (see <foo>). Allegedly popular because it's easy to type
X on a standard QWERTY keyboard. It is alternatively alleged to be
X an acronym for "Flipping Ridiculous Electronic Device" (other
X f-verbs may be substituted for "flipping")
X
X<freeware> n. Free software, often written by enthusiasts and usually
X distributed by electronic mail, local bulletin boards, <USENET>, or
X other electronic media. See <shareware>.
X
X<fried> adj. 1. Non-working due to hardware failure; burnt out.
X Especially used of hardware brought down by a power glitch, short,
X or other electrical event. (Sometimes this literally happens to
X electronic circuits! In particular, resistors can burn out and
X transformers can melt down, emitting terribly-smelling smoke.
X However, this term is also used metaphorically.) 2. Of people,
X exhausted. Said particularly of those who continue to work in such
X a state. Often used as an explanation or excuse. "Yeah, I know
X that fix destroyed the file system, but I was fried when I put it
X in."
X
X<frob> /frob/ 1. n. [MIT] The official Tech Model Railroad Club
X definition was "FROB = protruding arm or trunnion", and by
X metaphoric extension any somewhat small thing; an object that you
X can comfortably hold in one hand; something you can frob. See
X <frobnitz>. 2. v. Abbreviated form of <frobnicate>. 3. [from the
X <MUD> world] To request <wizard> privileges on the `professional
X courtesy' grounds that one one is a wizard elsewhere.
X
X<frobnicate> /frob'ni-kayt/ vt. To manipulate or adjust, to tweak.
X Thus: "Please frob the light switch." (That is, flip the light
X switch.), but also "Stop frobbing that clasp; you'll break it."
X Poss. derived from <frobnitz>. Usually abbreviated to <frob>, but
X <frobnicate> is recognized as the official full form. Thus one has
X the saying "to frob a frob". See <tweak> and <twiddle>. Usage:
X <frob>, <twiddle>, and <tweak> sometimes connote points along a
X continuum. <frob> connotes aimless manipulation; <twiddle>
X connotes gross manipulation, often a coarse search for a proper
X setting; <tweak> connotes fine-tuning. If someone is turning a
X knob on an oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting it he is
X probably tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the
X screen he is probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it
X because turning a knob is fun, he's frobbing it. The variant
X "frobnosticate" has been recently reported.
X
X<frobnitz> /frob'nits/, pl. <frobnitzem> (frob'nitsm) n. An unspecified
X physical object, a widget. Also refers to electronic black boxes.
X This rare form is usually abbreviated to FROTZ, or more commonly to
X <frob>. Also used are "frobnule" and "frobule". Starting
X perhaps in 1979, "frobozz" (fruh-bahz'), plural "frobbotzim"
X (fruh-bot'z@m) has also become very popular, largely due to its
X exposure as a name via <Zork>. These can also be applied to
X nonphysical objects, such as data structures.
X
X<frog> alt. `phrog' 1. interj. Term of disgust (we seem to have a lot
X of them). 2. Used as a name for just about anything. See <foo>.
X 3. n. Of things, a crock. Of people, somewhere inbetween a
X turkey and a toad. 4. <froggy>: adj. Similar to <bagbiting>, but
X milder. "This froggy program is taking forever to run!"
X
X<front end> n. 1. A subsidiary computer that doesn't do much. 2. What
X you're talking to when you have a conversation with someone who is
X making replies without paying attention. "Look at the dancing
X elephants!" "Uh-huh" "Do you know what I just said?"
X "Sorry, you were talking to the front end".
X
X<frotz> /frotz/ 1. n. See <frobnitz>. 2. <mumble frotz>: An
X interjection of very mild disgust.
X
X<frotzed> /frotzt/ adj. <down> due to hardware problems.
X
X<fry> 1. vi. To fail. Said especially of smoke-producing hardware
X failures. More generally, to become non-working. Usage: never
X said of software, only of hardware and humans. See <fried>, <magic
X smoke>. 2. vt. To cause to fail; to <roach>, <toast> or <hose> a
X piece of hardware (never used of software or humans).
X
X<FTP> /ef-tee-pee/, *not* /fit'ip/ 1. n. The File Transfer
X Protocol for transmitting files between systems on the Internet.
X 2. vt. To transfer a file using the File Transfer Protocol. 3.
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.ad || echo "restore of jsplit.ad fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 0103154591 jsplit.ad
fi
exit 0