eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (01/04/91)
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# ============= jsplit.ai ==============
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' > jsplit.ai &&
X to a random text address. This can produce some of the most
X insidious data-dependent bugs known to mankind. Variants include
X `trash the stack', `<scribble> the stack', `<mangle> the stack';
X `<mung> the stack' is not used as this is never done intentionally.
X See <spam>; see also <aliasing bug>, <fandango on core>, <memory
X leak>, <precedence lossage>, <overrun screw>.
X
X<smiley> n. See <emoticon>.
X
X<smoke test> n. 1. A rudimentary form of testing applied to electronic
X equipment following repair or reconfiguration in which AC power is
X applied and during which the tester checks for sparks, smoke, or
X other dramatic signs of fundamental failure. 2. By extension, the
X first run of a piece of software after construction or a critical
X change. See <magic smoke>.
X
X<smoking clover> [ITS] n. A <display hack> originally due to Bill
X Gosper. Many convergent lines are drawn on a color monitor in AOS
X mode (so that every pixel struck has its color incremented). The
X color map is then rotated. The lines all have one endpoint in the
X middle of the screen; the other endpoints are spaced one pixel
X apart around the perimeter of a large square. This results in a
X striking, rainbow-hued, shimmering four-leaf clover. Gosper joked
X about keeping it hidden from the FDA lest it be banned.
X
X<SMOP> /smop/ [Simple (or Small) Matter of Programming] n. 1. A piece
X of code, not yet written, whose anticipated length is significantly
X greater than its complexity. Usage: used to refer to a program
X that could obviously be written, but is not worth the trouble. It
X is also used ironically to imply that a difficult problem can be
X easily solved because a program can be written to do it; the irony
X is that it is very clear that writing such a program will be a
X great deal of work. Example: "It's easy to change a FORTRAN
X compiler to compile COBOL as well; it's just a SMOP." 2. Often
X used ironically by the intended victim when a suggestion for a
X program is made which seems easy to the suggester, but is obviously
X a lot of work to the programmer.
X
X<snail-mail> n. Paper mail, as opposed to electronic. Sometimes
X written as the single word `SnailMail'. Derives from earlier
X coinage `USnail' for which there have been parody posters and
X stamps made. Oppose <email>.
X
X<snarf> /snarf/ v. 1. To grab, esp. a large document or file for the
X purpose of using it either with or without the author's permission.
X See <BLT>. Variant: "snarf down", to snarf, sometimes with the
X connotation of absorbing, processing, or understanding. "I think
X I'll snarf down the list of DDT commands so I'll know what's
X changed recently." 2. [in the UNIX community] to fetch a file or
X set of files across a network. See also <blast>.
X
X<snarf & barf> /snarf-n-barf/ n. The act of grabbing a region of text
X using a <WIMP> environment and then stuffing the contents of that
X region into another region or into the same region, to avoid
X re-typing a command line.
X
X<snark> [Lewis Carroll, via the Michigan Terminal System] n. 1. A
X system failure. When a user's process bombed, the operator would
X get a message "Help, Help, Snark in MTS!". 2. More generally,
X any kind of unexplained or threatening event on a computer. Often
X used to refer to events or log file entries which might indicate an
X attempted security violation. 3. UUCP name of snark.thyrsus.com,
X home site of the Jargon File 2.x.x versions.
X
X<sneakernet> n. Term used (generally with ironic intent) for transfer
X of electronic information by physically carrying tape, disks, or
X some other media from one machine to another. "Never
X underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon filled with magtape,
X or a 747 filled with CD-ROMs." Also called "Tennis-Net",
X "Armpit-Net".
X
X<sniff> v.,n. Synonym for POLL.
X
X<S.O.> /ess-oh/ n. Acronym for Significant Other, almost invariably
X written abbreviated and pronounced "ess-oh" by hackers. In fact
X the form without periods "SO" is most common. Used to refer to
X one's primary relationship, esp. a live-in to whom one is not
X married. See <MOTAS>, <MOTOS>, <MOTSS>.
X
X<softcopy> n. [by analogy with `hardcopy'] A machine readable form of
X corresponding hardcopy. See <bits>.
X
X<software bloat> n. The results of <second system effect>. Commonly
X cited examples include `ls(1)', <X>, <BSD>, <Missed'em-five> and
X <OS/2>OS/2.
X
X<software rot> n. (Also known as <bit decay>, <bit rot>) Hypothetical
X disease the existence of which has been deduced from the
X observation that unused programs or features will often stop
X working after sufficient time has passed, even if "nothing has
X changed". The theory explains that bits decay as if they were
X radioactive. As time passes, the contents of a file or the code in
X a program will become increasingly garbled.
X
X There actually are physical processes that produce such effects
X (the alpha particles such as are found in cosmic rays can change
X the contents of a computer memory unpredictably, and various kinds
X of subtle media failures can corrupt files in mass storage) but
X they are quite rare.
X
X More commonly, "software rot" strikes when a program's
X assumptions become out of date. If the design was insufficiently
X <robust> it may fail in mysterious ways. For example, due to
X endemic shortsightedness in the design of COBOL programs, most will
X succumb to software rot when their two-digit year counters wrap
X around at the beginning of the year 2000.
X
X Historical note: software rot in an even funnier sense than the
X mythical one was a real problem on early research computers (e. g.
X the R1, see <grind crank>). If a program that depended on a
X peculiar instruction hadn't been run in quite a while, the user
X might discover that the opcodes no longer did the things as they
X used to. ("Hey, so-and-so needs an instruction to do
X such-and-such. We can snarf this one, right? No one uses it.")
X
X<softwarily> /soft-weir'i-lee/ adv. In a way pertaining to software.
X "The system is softwarily unreliable." The adjective
X "softwary" is *not* used. See <hardwarily>.
X
X<some random X> adj. Used to indicate a member of class X, with the
X implication that the particular X is interchangeable with most
X other Xs in whatever context was being discussed. "I think some
X random cracker tripped over the guest timeout last night."
X
X<sorcerer's apprentice mode> n. A bug in a protocol where, under some
X circumstances, the receipt of a message causes more than one
X message to be sent, each of which, when received, triggers the same
X bug. Used esp. of such behavior caused by <bounce message> loops
X in <email> software. Compare <broadcast storm>.
X
X<SOS> n.,obs. /ess-oh-ess/ 1. An infamously <losing> text editor.
X Once, back in the 1960's, when a text editor was needed for the
X PDP-6, a hacker crufted togrther a quick-and-dirty "stopgap
X editor" to be used until a better one was written. Unfortunately,
X the old one was never really discarded when new ones (in
X particular, <TECO>) came along. SOS is a descendant of that
X editor; SOS means "Son of Stopgap", and many PDP-10 users gained
X the dubious pleasure of its acquaintance. Since then other
X programs similar in style to SOS have been written, notably BILOS
X (bye'lohss) the Brother-In-Law Of Stopgap. See also <TECO>. 2.
X /sahss/ n. Inverse of <AOS>, from the PDP-10 instruction set.
X
X<space-cadet keyboard> n. The Knight keyboard, a now-legendary device
X used on MIT LISP machines which inspired several still-current
X slang terms and influenced the design of <EMACS>. It was inspired
X by the Stanford keyboard and equipped with no less than
X *seven* shift keys: four keys for <bucky bits> (`control',
X `meta', `hyper', and `super') and three like the regular shift key,
X called `shift', `top', and `front'. Many keys have three symbols
X on them: a letter and a symbol on the top, and a Greek letter on
X the front. For example, the "L" key has an "L" and a two-way
X arrow on the top, and the Greek letter lambda on the front. If you
X press this key with the right hand while playing an appropriate
X "chord" with the left hand on the shift keys, you can get the
X following results:
X
X L lower-case "l"
X shift-L upper-case "L"
X front-L Greek lower-case lambda
X front-shift-L Greek upper-case lambda
X top-L two-way arrow (front and shift are ignored)
X
X And of course each of these may also be typed with any combination
X of the control, meta, hyper, and super keys. On this keyboard you
X can type over 8000 different characters! This allows the user to
X type very complicated mathematical text, and also to have thousands
X of single-character commands at his disposal. Many hackers were
X actually willing to memorize the command meanings of that many
X characters if it will reduce typing time (this view rather
X obviously shaped the interface of EMACS). Other hackers, however,
X thought having that many bucky bits is overkill, and object that
X such a keyboard can require three or four hands to operate. See
X <bucky bits>, <cokebottle>, <meta bit>.
X
X<SPACEWAR> n. A space-combat simulation game first implemented on the
X PDP-1 at MIT in 1960-61. SPACEWAR aficionados formed the core of
X the early hacker culture at MIT. Ten years later a descendant of
X the game motivated Ken Thompson to build, in his spare time on a
X scavenged PDP-7, the operating system that became <UNIX>. Ten years
X after that, SPACEWAR was commercialized as one of the first video
X games; descendants are still feeping in video arcades everywhere.
X
X<spaghetti code> n. Describes code with a complex and tangled control
X structure, esp. one using many GOTOs, exceptions or other
X `unstructured' branching constructs. Pejorative. The synonym
X "kangaroo code" has been reported.
X
X<spaghetti inheritance> n. [Encountered among users of object-oriented
X languages that use inheritance, such as Smalltalk] A convoluted
X class-subclass graph, often resulting from carelessly deriving
X subclasses from other classes just for the sake of reusing their
X code. Coined in a (successful) attempt to discourage such
X practice, through guilt by association with <spaghetti code>.
X
X<spam> [from the <MUD> community] v. To crash a program by overrunning
X a fixed-size buffer with excessively large input data. See also
X <overrun screw>, <smash the stack>.
X
X<spell> n. Syn. <incantation>.
X
X<spiffy> /spi'fee/ adj. 1. Said of programs having a pretty, clever or
X exceptionally well-designed interface. "Have you seen the spiffy X
X version of <empire> yet?" 2. Said sarcastically of programs which
X are perceived to have little more than a flashy interface going for
X them. Which meaning should be drawn depends delicately on tone of
X voice and context.
X
X<spin> v. Equivalent to <buzz>. More common among C and UNIX
X programmers.
X
X<spin-lock> [Cambridge] n. A <busy-wait>. Preferred in Britain.
X
X<splat> n. 1. Name used in many places (DEC, IBM, and others) for the
X ASCII asterisk ("*") character. 2. [MIT] Name used by some
X people for the ASCII number-sign ("#") character. 3. [Stanford]
X Name used by some people for the Stanford/ITS extended ASCII
X circle-x character. (This character is also called "circle-x",
X "blobby", and "frob", among other names.) 4. [Stanford] Name
X for the semi-mythical extended ASCII circle-plus character. 5.
X Canonical name for an output routine that outputs whatever the
X local interpretation of splat is. 5. [Rochester Institute of
X Technology] The command key on a Macintosh. Usage: nobody really
X agrees what character "splat" is, but the term is common.
X
X<spooge> /spooj/ 1. n. Inexplicable or arcane code, or random and
X probably incorrect output from a computer program. 2. v. To
X generate code or output as in definition 1.
X
X<spool> [fr. early IBM "Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off-Line",
X but this acronym is widely thought to have been contrived for
X effect] v. To send files to some device or program (a `spooler')
X that queues them up and does something useful with them later. The
X spooler usually understood is the `print spooler' controlling
X output of jobs to a printer, but the term has been used in
X connection with other peripherals (especially plotters and graphics
X devices).
X
X<stack> n. A person's stack is the set of things he has to do in the
X future. One speaks of the next project to be attacked as having
X risen to the top of the stack. "I'm afraid I've got real work to
X do, so this'll have to be pushed way down on my stack." "I
X haven't done it yet because every time I pop my stack something new
X gets pushed." If you are interrupted several times in the middle
X of a conversation, "my stack overflowed" means "I forget what we
X were talking about" (the implication is that too many items were
X pushed onto the stack than could be remembered, and so the least
X recent items were lost). The usual physical example of a stack is
X to be found in a cafeteria: a pile of plates sitting on a spring in
X a well in a cart, so that when you put a plate on the top they all
X sink down, and when you take one off the top the rest spring up a
X bit. See also <PUSH> and <POP>.
X
X At MIT, all the <stack> usages used to be more commonly found with
X <pdl>, and this may still be true. Everywhere else <stack> seems
X to be the preferred term.
X
X<stack puke> n. Some micros are said to "puke their guts onto the
X stack" to save their internal state during exception processing.
X On a pipelined machine this can take a while (up to 92 bytes for a
X bus fault on the 68020, for example).
X
X<stale pointer bug> n. Synonym for <aliasing bug> used esp. among
X microcomputer hackers.
X
X<state> n. Condition, situation. "What's the state of your latest
X hack?" "It's winning away." "The system tried to read and
X write the disk simultaneously and got into a totally wedged
X state." A standard question is "What's your state?" which means
X "What are you doing?" or "What are you about to do?" Typical
X answers might be "I'm about to gronk out", or "I'm hungry".
X Another standard question is "What's the state of the world?"
X meaning "What's new?" or "What's going on?". The more terse and
X humorous way of asking these conventions would be "State-p?".
X
X<stiffy> [ULowell] n. 3.5" <microfloppies>, so called because their
X jackets are more firm than the 5.25" and 8" floppy.
X
X<stir-fried random> alt. <stir-fried mumble> n. Term used for frequent
X best dish of those hackers who can cook. Consists of random fresh
X veggies and meat wokked with random spices. Tasty and economical.
X See <random>, <great-wall>, <ravs>, <ORIENTAL FOOD>; see also
X <mumble>.
X
X<stomp on> v. To inadvertently overwrite something important, usually
X automatically. Example: "All the work I did this weekend got
X stomped on last night by the nightly-server script." Compare
X <scribble>, <mangle>, <trash>, <scrog>, <roach>.
X
X<stoppage> /sto'p@j/ n. Extreme lossage (see <lossage>) resulting in
X something (usually vital) becoming completely unusable. "The
X recent system stoppage was caused by a <fried> transformer."
X
X<stubroutine> /stuhb'roo-teen/ [contr. of "stub routine"] n. Tiny,
X often vacuous placeholder for a subroutine to be written or fleshed
X out later.
X
X<stunning> adj. Mind-bogglingly stupid. Usually used in sarcasm.
X "You want to code *what* in ADA? That's...a stunning idea!"
X See also <non-optimal solution>.
X
X<subshell> [UNIX, MS-DOS] n. An OS command interpreter (see <shell>)
X spawned from within a program, such that exit from the command
X interpreter returns one to the parent program in a state that
X allows it to continue execution. Oppose <chain>.
X
X<sucking mud> [Applied Digital Research] adj. Crashed or wedged.
X Usually said of a machine that provides some service to a network,
X such as a file server. This Dallas regionalism derives from the
X East Texas oil field lament, "Shut 'er down, Ma, she's a-suckin'
X mud." Often used as a query. "We are going to reconfigure the
X network, are you ready to suck mud?"
X
X<suit> n. 1. Ugly and uncomfortable `business clothing' often worn by
X non-hackers. Invariably worn with a `tie', a strangulation device
X which partially cuts off the blood supply to the brain. It is
X thought that this explains much about the behavior of suit-
X wearers. 2. A person who habitually wears suits, as distinct from a
X techie or hacker. See <loser>, <burble> and <brain-damaged>.
X English, BTW, is relatively kind; our Soviet correspondent informs
X us that the corresponding idiom in Russian hacker jargon is
X `sovok', lit. a tool for grabbing garbage.
X
X<sunspots> n. Notional cause of an odd error. "Why did the program
X suddenly turn the screen blue?" "Sunspots, I guess". Also cause
X of bitrot, from the genuine, honest-to-god fact that sunspots will
X increase cosmic radiation which can flip single bits in memory.
X Needless to say, although real sunspot errors happen, they are
X extremely rare. See <cosmic rays>, <phase of the moon>.
X
X<sun-stools> n. Unflattering hackerism for SunTools, a pre-X windowing
X environment notorious in its day for size, slowness and misfeatures
X (X, however, is larger and slower; see <second-system effect>).
X
X<SUPDUP> /soop'doop/ v. To communicate with another ARPAnet host using
X the SUPDUP program, which is a SUPer-DUPer <TELNET> talking a
X special display protocol used mostly in talking to ITS sites.
X Sometimes abbreviated to SD.
X
X<superprogrammer> n. A prolific programmer; one who can code
X exceedingly well and quickly. Not all hackers are
X superprogrammers, but many are. (Productivity can vary from one
X programmer to another by factors of as much as 1000. For example,
X programmer A might be able to write an average of 3 lines of
X working code in one day, while another, with the proper tools and
X skill, might be able to write 3,000 lines of working code in one
X day. This variance is astonishing, appearing in very few other
X areas of human endeavor.) The term superprogrammer is more
X commonly used within such places as IBM than in the hacker
X community. It tends to stress productivity rather than creativity
X or ingenuity. Hackers tend to prefer the terms <hacker> and
X <wizard>.
X
X<Suzie COBOL> /soo'zee koh'bol/ 1. [IBM, prob. fr. Frank Zappa's
X "little Suzy Creamcheese"] n. A coder straight out of training
X school who knows everything except the benefits of comments in
X plain English. Also (fashionable among personkind wishing to avoid
X accusations of sexism) `Sammy Cobol' or (in some non-IBM circles)
X `Cobol Charlie'. 2. [proposed] Meta-name for any <code grinder>,
X analogous to <J. Random Hacker>.
X
X<swab> [From the PDP-11 "byte swap" instruction, and immortalized in
X the option "conv=swab" to <DD>] 1. v. to solve the <NUXI problem>
X by swapping bytes in a file. 2. Also, the program in V7 UNIX used
X to perform this action, or anything functionally equivalent to it.
X See also <big-endian>, <little-endian>, <bytesexual>.
X
X<swap space> n. Storage space. "I'm just using that corner of the
X machine room for swap space".
X
X<swapped> adj. From the older (per-task) method of using secondary
X storage devices to implement support for multitasking. Something
X which is <swapped in> is available for immediate use in main
X memory, and otherwise is <swapped out>. Often used metaphorically
X to refer to people's memories ("I read the Scheme Report every few
X months to keep the information swapped in.") or to their own
X availability ("I'll swap you in as soon as I finish looking at
X this other problem."). Compare <page in>, <page out>.
X
X<swizzle> v. To convert external names or references within a data
X structure into direct pointers when the data structure is brought
X into main memory from external storage; also called "pointer
X swizzling"; the converse operation is sometimes termed
X <unswizzling>.
X
X<sync> /sink/ [UNIX] n.,v. 1. To force all pending I/O to the disk.
X 2. More generally, to force a number of competing processes or
X agents to a state that would be `safe' if the system were to crash;
X thus, to checkpoint. See <flush>.
X
X<syntactic sugar> [coined by Peter Landin] n. Features added to a
X language or formalism to make it `sweeter' for humans, that do not
X affect the expressiveness of the formalism (compare <chrome>). Used
X esp. when there is an obvious and trivial translation of the
X `sugar' feature into other constructs already present in the
X notation. Example: C's "a[i]" notation is syntactic sugar for
X "*(a + i)". "Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the semicolon."
X --- Alan Perlis.
X
X<sys-frog> [the PLATO system] n. Playful hackish variant of
X "sysprog" which is in turn short for "systems-programmer".
X
X<system> n. 1. The supervisor program or OS on a computer. 2. n. The
X entire computer system, including input/output devices, the
X supervisor program or OS, and possibly other software. 3. Any
X large-scale program. 4. Any method or algorithm. 5. The way
X things are usually done. Usage: a fairly ambiguous word. "You
X can't beat the system." <System hacker>: one who hacks the system
X (in sense 1 only; for sense 2 one mentions the particular program:
X e.g., "lisp hacker")
X
X {= T =}
X
X<t> /tee/ 1. [from LISP terminology for "true"] Yes. Usage: used in
X reply to a question, particularly one asked using the "-P"
X convention). See NIL. In LISP, the name T means "true", among
X other things. Some hackers use "T" and "NIL" instead of
X "yes" and "no" almost reflexively. This sometimes causes
X misunderstandings. When a waiter or flight attendant asks whether
X a hacker wants coffee, he may well respond "T", meaning that he
X wants coffee; but of course he will be brought a cup of tea
X instead. As it happens, most hackers like tea at least as well as
X coffee, particularly those who frequent Chinese restaurants, so
X it's not that big a problem. 2. See <time t>. 3. In
X transaction-processing circles, an abbreviation for the noun
X "transaction". 4. [Purdue] Alternate spelling of <tee>
X
X<tail recursion> n. See <tail recursion>.
X
X<talk mode> n. The state a terminal is in when linked to another via a
X bidirectional character pipe, to support on-line dialogue between
X two or more users. Talk mode has a special set of jargon words,
X used to save typing, which are not used orally:
X
X BCNU Be seeing you.
X BTW By the way...
X BYE? Are you ready to unlink? (This is the standard way to
X end a talk mode conversation; the other person types BYE
X to confirm, or else continues the conversation.)
X CUL See you later.
X ENQ? Are you busy? Expects ACK or NAK in return.
X FOO? A greeting, also meaning R U THERE? Often used in the
X case of unexpected links, meaning also "Sorry if I
X butted in" (linker) or "What's up?" (linkee).
X FYI For your information...
X FYA For your amusement...
X GA Go ahead (used when two people have tried to type\
X simultaneously;
X this cedes the right to type to the other).
X HELLOP A greeting, also meaning R U THERE? (An instance of the
X "-P" convention.)
X JAM Just a minute... Equivalent to SEC...
X NIL No (see the main entry for NIL).
X O Over to you (lower-case works too).
X OO Over and out (lower-case works too).
X / Another form of "Over to you" (from x/y as "x overy y")
X OBTW Oh, by the way...
X R U THERE? Are you there?
X SEC Wait a second (sometimes written SEC...).
X T Yes (see the main entry for T).
X TNX Thanks.
X TNX 1.0E6 Thanks a million (humorous).
X WTF The universal interrogative particle. WTF knows what
X it means?
X WTH What the hell?
X <double CRLF> When the typing party has finished, he types two CRLFs
X to signal that he is done; this leaves a blank line between
X individual "speeches" in the conversation, making it easier to
X re-read the preceding text.
X <name>: When three or more terminals are linked, each speech is
X preceded by the typist's login name and a colon (or a hyphen) to
X indicate who is typing. The login name often is shortened to a
X unique prefix (possibly a single letter) during a very long
X conversation.
X /\/\/\ A giggle or chuckle (rare). On a MUD, this almost certainly mean
X `earthquake fault'.
X
X Most of the above "sub-jargon" is used at both Stanford and MIT.
X Several of these are also common in EMAIL, esp. FYI, FYA, BTW,
X BCNU, and CUL. A few other abbreviations have been reported from
X commercial networks such as GEnie and Compuserve where on-line
X `live' chat including more than two people is common and usually
X involves a more `social' context, notably
X
X <g> grin
X BBL be back later
X BRB be right back
X HHOJ ha ha only joking
X HHOS <ha ha only serious>
X LOL laughing out loud
X ROTF rolling on the floor
X ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
X AFK away from keyboard
X b4 before
X CU l8tr see you later
X MORF Male or Female?
X TTFN ta-ta for now
X OIC Oh, I see
X rehi hello again
X
X These are not used at universities or in the UNIX world;
X conversely, most of the people who know these are unfamiliar with
X FOO?, BCNU, HELLOP, NIL, and T.
X
X The <MUD> community uses a mixture of USENET/Internet emoticons, a
X few of the more natural of the old-style talk mode abbrevs, and
X some of the `social' list above; specifically, MUD respondents
X report use of BBL, BRB, LOL, b4, BTW, WTF, and WTH. The use of
X rehi is also common; in fact, mudders are fond of re- compounds and
X will frequently `rehug' or `rebonk' (see <bonk/oif>) people. The
X verbe `re' by itself is construed as `repeat my last action
X toward'. In general, though, mudders express a preference for
X typing things out in full rather than using abbreviations; this may
X be due to the relative youth of the MUD cultures, which tend to
X include many touch typists and assume high-speed links. The
X following uses specific to MUDs are reported:
X
X UOK? Are you OK?
X THX Thanks (mutant of TNX)
X CU l8er See you later (mutant of CU l8tr)
X
X See also <hakspek>, <emoticon>, <bonk/oif>.
X
X<tanked> adj. Same as <down>, used primarily by UNIX hackers. See
X also <hosed>. Popularized as a synonym for "drunk" by Steve
X Dallas in the late lamented "Bloom County" comics.
X
X<tar and feather> [from UNIX `tar(1)'] v. To create a transportable
X archive from a group of files by first sticking them together with
X the tape archiver `tar(1)' and then compressing the result (see
X <compress>). The latter is dubbed `feathering' by analogy to what
X you do with an airplane propeller to decrease wind resistance;
X smaller files, after all, slip through comm links more easily.
X
X<taste> n. [primarily MIT-DMS] 1. The quality in programs which tends
X to be inversely proportional to the number of features, hacks, and
X kluges programmed into it. Also, "tasty", "tasteful",
X "tastefulness". "This feature comes in N tasty flavors."
X Although "tasteful" and "flavorful" are essentially synonyms,
X "taste" and <flavor> are not. Taste refers to sound judgement on
X the part of the creator; a program or feature can *exhibit*
X taste but cannot "have" taste. On the other hand, a feature can
X have <flavor>. Also, <flavor> has the additional meaning of
X "kind" or "variety" not shared by "taste". <flavor> is a
X more popular word among hackers than "taste", though both are
X used. 2. Also as <tayste>; two bits. Compare <crumb>, <dynner>,
X <playte>, <nybble>.
X
X<TCB> /tee see bee/ [IBM] 1. Trouble Came Back. Intermittent or
X difficult-to reproduce problem which has failed to respond to
X neglect. Compare <heisenbug>. Not to be confused with: 2. Trusted
X Computing Base, an "official" jargon term from the <Orange Book>.
X
X<TECO> /tee'koh/ obs. 1. v. Originally, to edit using the TECO editor
X in one of its infinite variations (see below); sometimes still used
X to mean "to edit" even when not using TECO! Usage: rare and now
X primarily historical. 2. [originally an acronym for (paper)
X "Tape Editor and COrrector"; later, "Text Editor and
X Corrector"] n. A text editor developed at MIT, and modified by
X just about everybody. If all the dialects are included, TECO might
X have been the single most prolific editor in use before <EMACS>
X to which it was directly ancestral. Noted for its powerful
X programming-language-like features and its incredibly hairy syntax.
X It is literally the case that every possible sequence of ASCII
X characters is a valid, though probably uninteresting, TECO program;
X one common hacker game used to be mentally working out what the
X teco commands corresponding to human names did. As an example,
X here is a TECO program that takes a list of names like this:
X
X Loser, J. Random
X Quux, The Great
X Dick, Moby
X
X sorts them alphabetically according to last name, and then puts the
X last name last, removing the comma, to produce this:
X
X Moby Dick
X J. Random Loser
X The Great Quux
X
X The program is:
X
X [1 J ^P $ L $ $
X J <.-Z; .,(S,$ -D .)FX1 @F^B $K :L I $ G1 L>$$
X
X (where ^B means "Control-B" (ASCII 0000010) and $ is actually an
X <escape> (ASCII 0011011) character)
X
X In fact, this very program was used to produce the second, sorted
X list from the first list! The first hack at it had a <bug>: gls
X (the author) had accidentally omitted the "@" in front of
X "F^B", which as anyone can see is clearly the wrong thing. It
X worked fine the second time. There is no space to describe all the
X features of TECO, but it may be of interest that "^P" means
X "sort" and "J <.-Z; ... L>" is an idiomatic series of commands
X for "do once for every line".
X
X In 1990, TECO is now pretty much one with the dust of history,
X having been replaced in the affections of hackerdom by <EMACS>. It
X can still be found lurking on VMS and a couple of crufty PDP-11
X operating systems, however.
X
X<tee> n.,v. [Purdue] A carbon copy of an electronic transmission,
X "Oh, you're sending him the <bits> to that? Slap on a tee for
X me." From the UNIX command `tee(1)'. Can also mean `save one for
X me' as in "Tee a slice for me!". Also spelled `T'.
X
X<Telerat> /tel'@-rat/ n. Unflattering hackerism for "Teleray", a
X line of extremely losing terminals. See also <terminak>,
X <sun-stools>, <HP-SUX>.
X
X<TELNET> /telnet/ v. To communicate with another ARPAnet host using
X the <TELNET> program. TOPS-10 people use the word IMPCOM since
X that is the program name for them. Sometimes abbreviated to TN.
X "I usually TN over to SAIL just to read the AP News."
X
X<ten finger interface> n. The interface between two networks which
X cannot be directly connected for security reasons; refers to the
X practice of placing two terminals side by side and having an
X operator read from one and type into the other.
X
X<tense> adj. Of programs, very clever and efficient. A tense piece of
X code often got that way because it was highly <bum>med, but
X sometimes it was just based on a great idea. A comment in a clever
X display routine by Mike Kazar, a student hacker at CMU: "This
X routine is so tense it will bring tears to your eyes. Much thanks
X to Craig Everhart and James Gosling for inspiring this <hack
X attack>." A tense programmer is one who produces tense code.
X
X<tenured graduate student> n. One who has been in graduate school for
X ten years (the usual maximum is five or six): a "ten-yeared"
X student (get it?). Students don't really get tenure, of course,
X the way professors do, but a tenth-year graduate student has
X probably been around the university longer than any non-tenured
X professor.
X
X<teraflop club> /ter'a-flop kluhb/ [FLOP = Floating Point Operation]
X n. Mythical group of people who consume outrageous amounts of
X computer time in order to produce a few simple pictures of glass
X balls with intricate ray tracing techniques. Cal Tech professor
X James Kajiya is said to have been the founding member. See also
X <kilo>.
X
X<terminak> /ter'mi-nak/ [Caltech, ca. 1979] n. Any malfunctioning
X computer terminal. A common failure mode of Lear-Siegler ADM3a
X terminals caused the "L" key to produce the "K" code instead;
X complaints about this tended to look like "Terminak #3 has a bad
X keyboard. Pkease fix." See <sun-stools>, <Telerat>, <HP-SUX>.
X
X<terminal brain death> n. Extreme form of <terminal illness> (sense
X #1).
X
X<terminal illness> n. 1. Syn. with <raster burn>. 2. The `burn-in'
X condition your CRT tends to get if you don't have a screen saver.
X
X<terminal junkie> [Great Britain] n. An early <larval stage> hacker
X who spends most of their time wandering the directory tree and
X writing <noddy> programs just to get his/her fix of computer time.
X Variants include "terminal jockey", "console junkie", or <console
X jockey>. The term "console jockey" seems to imply more expertise
X than the other three.
X
X<terpri> /ter'pree/ [from the LISP 1.5 (and later, MacLISP) function
X to start a new line of output] v. To output a <CRLF>. Now
X rare. It is a contraction of "TERminate PRInt line".
X
X<TeX> /tekh/ n. An extremely powerful <macro>-based text-formatter
X written by Donald E. Knuth, very popular in the computer-science
X community (it is good enough to have displaced UNIX `troff(1)', the
X other favored formatter, even at many UNIX installations). TeX
X fans insist on the correct (guttural) pronunciation spelling (all
X caps, with the E depressed below the baseline) of the name (the
X mixed-case "TeX" is considered an acceptable kluge on ASCII-only
X devices). They like to proliferate names from the word `TeX' ---
X such as TeXnichian (TeX user), TeXhacker (TeX programmer),
X TeXmaster (competent TeX programmer), TeXhax, TeXnique.
X
X<thanks in advance> [USENET] Conventional net.politeness ending a
X posted request for information or assistance. Sometimes written
X "advTHANKSance". See <net.>, <netiquette>.
X
X<theology> n. 1. Ironically used to refer to <religious issues>. 2.
X Technical fine points of an abstruse nature, esp. those where the
X resolution is of theoretical interest but relatively <marginal>
X with respect to actual use of a design or system. Used esp. around
X software issues with a heavy AI or language design component.
X Example: the deep- vs. shallow-binding debate in the design of
X dynamically-scoped LISPs.
X
X<theory> n. Used in the general sense of idea, plan, story, or set of
X rules. This is a generalization and abuse of the technical
X meaning. "What's the theory on fixing this TECO loss?" "What's
X the theory on dinner tonight?" ("Chinatown, I guess.")
X "What's the current theory on letting lusers on during the day?"
X "The theory behind this change is to fix the following well-known
X screw..."
X
X<thinko> /thin'ko/ [by analogy with `typo'] n. A bubble in the stream
X of consciousness; a momentary, correctable glitch in mental
X processing, especially one involving recall of information learned
X by rote. Syn. <braino>. Compare <mouso>.
X
X<This time, for sure>! Ritual affirmation frequently uttered during
X protracted debugging sessions involving numerous small obstacles
X (as, in for example, attempts to bring up a UUCP connection). For
X the proper effect, this must be uttered in a fruity imitation of
X Bullwinkle the Moose. Also heard: "Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a
X rabbit out of my hat!". The canonical response is, of course,
X "But that trick *never* works!". See <HUMOR, HACKER>.
X
X<thrash> v. To move wildly or violently, without accomplishing
X anything useful. Paging or swapping systems which are overloaded
X waste most of their time moving data into and out of core (rather
X than performing useful computation), and are therefore said to
X thrash. Someone who keeps changing his mind is said to be
X thrashing.
X
X<thread> /thred/ n. [USENET, GEnie] Common abbreviation of `topic
X thread', a more or less continuous chain of postings on a single
X topic. Also in 2. <upthread>: earlier in the discussion. "As Joe
X pointed out upthread..."
X
X<three-finger salute> n. Syn. for <vulcan nerve pinch>.
X
X<thunk> [mythically, the sound made by data when pushed onto the
X stack] n. 1. " ... a piece of coding which which provides an
X address." --- P.Z Ingerman, who invented <thunk>s in 1961 as a way
X of binding actual parameters to their formal definitions in
X Algol-60 procedure calls. If a procedure is called with an
X expression in the place of a formal parameter, the compiler
X generates a <thunk> to compute the expression and leave the address
X of the result in some standard location such as an index register.
X 2. Later generalized into an expression, frozen together with its
X environment for later evaluation if and when needed. The process
X of unfreezing these <thunk>s is called `forcing'. 3. Stub routine,
X in an overlay programming environment, which loads and jumps to the
X correct overlay. 4. People and activities scheduled in a thunklike
X manner. "It occurred to me the other day that I am rather
X accurately modelled by a thunk --- I frequently need to be forced
X to completion." --- paraphrased from a .plan file.
X
X<tick> n. 1. The width of one tick of the system clock on the
X computer. Often 1 AC cycle time (1/60 second in the U.S. and
X Canada, and 1/50 most other places) but more recently 1/100 sec has
X become common. Syn <jiffy>. 2. In simulations, the discrete unit
X of time that passes "between" iterations of the simulation
X mechanism. In AI applications, this amount of time is often left
X unspecified, since the only constraint of interest is that caused
X things happen after their causes. This sort of AI simulation is
X often pejoratively referred to as "tick-tick-tick" simulation,
X especially when the issue of simultaneity of events with long,
X independent chains of causes is <handwave>d.
X
X<tick-list features> [Acorn Computers] n. Features in software or
X hardware that customers insist on but never use (calculators in
X desktop TSRs and that sort of thing).
X
X<time sink> n. A project which consumes unbounded amounts of time.
X
X<time t> /tiem tee/ n. 1. An unspecified but usually well-understood
X time, often used in conjunction with a later time T+1. "We'll
X meet on campus at time T or at Louie's at time T+1." means, in the
X context of going out for dinner, "If we meet at Louie's directly,
X we can meet there a little later than if we meet on campus and then
X have to travel to Louie's." (Louie's is a Chinese restaurant in
X Palo Alto that is a favorite with hackers. Had the number 30 been
X used instead of "one", it would have implied that the travel time
X from campus to Louie's is thirty minutes; whatever time T is (and
X that hasn't been decided on yet), you can meet half an hour later
X at Louie's than you could on campus and end up eating at the same
X time. 2. "since (or at) time t equals minus infinity": A long time
X ago; for as long as anyone can remember; at the time that some
X particular frob was first designed. Sometimes the word "time" is
X omitted if there is no danger of confusing "T" as a time with
X "T" meaning "yes".
X
X<tip of the ice-cube> [IBM] n. The visible part of something small and
X insignificant. Used as an ironic comment in situations where "tip
X of the iceberg" might be appropriate if the subject were actually
X nontrivial.
X
X<tired iron> [IBM] n. Hardware that is perfectly functional but enough
X behind the state of the art to have been superseded by new
X products, presumably with enough improvement in bang-per-buck that
X the old stuff is starting to look a bit like a <dinosaur>.
X
X<tits on a keyboard> n. Small bumps on certain keycaps to keep
X touch-typists registered. (Usually on the 5 of a numeric keypad,
X and on F and J of a QWERTY keyboard.)
X
X<TLA> /tee el ay/ [Three-Letter-Acronym] n. 1. Self-describing acronym
X for a species with which computing terminology is infested. 2. Any
X confusing acronym at all. Examples include MCA, FTP, SNA, CPU,
X MMU, SCCS, DMU, FPU, TLA, NNTP. People who like this looser usage
X argue that not all TLAs have three letters, just as not all four
X letter words have four letters. One also hears of "ETLA"
X (Extended Three Letter Acronym, pronounced /ee tee el ay/ ) being
X used to describe four-letter acronyms.
X
X<toast> 1. n. Any completely inoperable system, esp. one that has just
X crashed; "I think BUACCA is toast." 2. v. To cause a system to
X crash accidentally, especially in a manner that requires manual
X rebooting. "Rick just toasted harp again."
X
X<toaster> n. 1. The archetypal really stupid application for an
X embedded microprocessor controller esp. `toaster oven'; often used
X in comments which imply that a scheme is inappropriate technology.
X "<DWIM> for an assembler? That'd be as silly as running UNIX on
X your toaster!" 2. A very very dumb computer. "You could run this
X program on any dumb toaster." See <bitty box>, <toaster>, <toy>.
X
X<toggle> v. To change a BIT from whatever state it is in to the other
X state; to change from 1 to 0 or from 0 to 1. This probably comes
X from "toggle switches", such as standard light switches, though
X the word "toggle" apparently originally referred to the mechanism
X that keeps the switch in the position to which it is flipped,
X rather than to the fact that the switch has two positions. There
X are four things you can do to a bit: set it (force it to be 1),
X clear (or zero) it, leave it alone, or toggle it. (Mathematically,
X one would say that there are four distinct boolean-valued functions
X of one boolean argument, but saying that is much less fun than
X talking about toggling bits.)
X
X<tool> 1. n. A program primarily used to create other programs, such
X as a compiler or editor or cross-referencing program. Oppose
X <app>, <operating system>. 2. [UNIX] An application program with a
X simple, "transparent" (typically text-stream) interface designed
X specifically to be used in programmed combination with other tools
X (see <filter>). 3. [MIT] v.i. To work; to study. See <hack>.
X
X<TOPS-10> /tops-ten/ n. DEC's proprietary OS for the fabled <PDP-10>
X machines, long a favorite of hackers but now effectively extinct.
X A fountain of hacker folklore; see Appendix A. See also <ITS>,
X <TOPS-20>, <TWENEX>, <VMS>, <operating system>. TOPS-10 was
X sometimes called BOTS-10 ("from bottoms-ten") as a comment on the
X inappropriateness of describing it as the top of anything.
X
X<TOPS-20> /tops-twen'tee/ n. See <TWENEX>.
X
X<tourist> [from MIT's ITS system] n. A guest on the system, especially
X one who generally logs in over a network from a remote location for
X games and other trivial purposes. One step below <luser>.
X
X<touristic> adj. Having the quality of a <tourist>. Often used as a
X pejorative, as in "losing touristic scum".
X
X<toy> n. A computer system; always used with qualifiers. 1. <nice
X toy>: One which supports the speaker's hacking style adequately.
X 2. <just a toy>: A machine that yields insufficient <computron>s
X for the speaker's preferred uses. This is not condemnatory as is
X <bitty box>; toys can at least be fun. See also <Get a real
X computer!>, <bitty box>.
X
X<toy problem> [AI] n. A deliberately simplified or even oversimplified
X case of a challenging problem used to investigate, prototype, or
X test algorithms for the real problem. Sometimes used pejoratively.
X See also <gedanken>.
X
X<trap> 1. n. A program interrupt, usually used specifically to refer
X to an interrupt caused by some illegal action taking place in the
X user program. In most cases the system monitor performs some
X action related to the nature of the illegality, then returns
X control to the program. 2. v. To cause a trap. "These
X instructions trap to the monitor." Also used transitively to
X indicate the cause of the trap. "The monitor traps all
X input/output instructions." This term is associated with
X assembler programming (INTERRUPT is more common among HLL
X programmers) and appears to be fading into history as the role of
X assembler continues to shrink.
X
X<trap door> alt. <trapdoor> n. Syn. with <back door>.
X
X<trash> v. To destroy the contents of (said of a data structure). The
X most common of the family of near-synonyms including <mung>,
X <mangle> and <scribble>.
X
X<tree killer> [Sun] n. 1. A printer. 2. A person who wastes paper.
X This should be interpreted in a broad sense; `wasting paper'
X includes the production of <spiffy> but <content-free> documents.
X Thus, most <suits> are tree-killers.
X
X<trivial> adj. 1. In explanation, too simple to bother detailing. 2.
X Not worth the speaker's time. 3. Complex, but solvable by methods
X so well-known that anyone not utterly <cretinous> would have
X thought of them already. Hackers' notions of triviality may be
X quite at variance with those of non-hackers. See <nontrivial>,
X <uninteresting>.
X
X<troglodyte> [Commodore] n. 1. A hacker who never leaves his cubicle.
X The term `Gnoll' (from D&D) is also reported. 2. [proposed] A
X curmudgeon attached to an obsolescent computing environment.
X
X<troglodyte mode> [Rice University] n. Programming with the lights
X turned off, sunglasses on, and the (character) terminal inverted
X (black on white) because you've been up for so many days straight
X that your eyes hurt. Loud music blaring from a stereo stacked in
X the corner is optional but recommended. See <larval stage>,
X <mode>.
X
X<trojan horse> [coined by MIT-hacker-turned-spook Dan Edwards] n. A
X program designed to break security or damage a system that is
X disguised as something else benign, such as a directory lister or
X archiver. See <virus>, <worm>.
X
X<true-hacker> [analogy with "trufan" from SF fandom] n. One who
X exemplifies the primary values of hacker culture, esp. competence
X and helpfulness to other hackers. A high complement. "He spent
X six hours helping me bring up UUCP and netnews on my FOOBAR 4000
X last week --- unequivocally the act of a true-hacker." Compare
X <demigod>, oppose <munchkin>.
X
X<tty> /tee-tee-wie/ [UNIX], /ti'tee/ [ITS, but some UNIX people say it
X this way as well] n. 1. Terminal of the teletype variety,
X characterized by a noisy mechanical printer, a very limited
X character set, and poor print quality. Usage: antiquated (like the
X TTYs themselves). 2. [especially UNIX] Any terminal at all;
X sometimes used to refer to the particular terminal controlling a
X given job.
X
X<tube> n. A CRT terminal. Never used in the mainstream sense of TV;
X real hackers don't watch TV, except for Loony Toons and Rocky &
X Bullwinkle and the occasional cheesy old swashbuckle movie.
X
X<tunafish> n. In hackish lore, refers to the mutated punchline of an
X age-old joke to be found at the bottom of the man pages of
X `tunefs(8)' in the original <BSD> 4.2 distribution. The joke
X was removed in later releases once commercial sites started
X developing 4.2. Tunefs relates to the `tuning' of file-system
X parameters for optimum performance, and at the bottom of a few
X pages of <black art> writings was a BUGS section consisting of the
X line "You can tune a filing system, but you can't tunafish."
X
X<tune> [from automotive or musical usage] v. To optimize a program or
X system for a particular environment, esp. by adjusting numerical
X parameters designed as <hook>s for tuning, e.g. by changing #define
X lines in C. One may `tune for time' (fastest execution) `tune for
X space' (least memory utilization) or `tune for configuration' (most
X efficient use of hardware). See <bum>, <hot spot>, <hand-hacking>.
X
X<tweak> v. 1. To change slightly, usually in reference to a value.
X Also used synonymously with <twiddle>. If a program is almost
X correct, rather than figuring out the precise problem, you might
X just keep tweaking it until it works. See <frobnicate> and <fudge
X factor>. 2. To <tune> or <bum> a program. This is preferred usage
X in England.
X
X<TWENEX> /twe-neks/ n. The TOPS-20 operating system by DEC. TOPS-10
X was a typically crufty DEC operating system for the PDP-10, so
X TOPS-20 was the obvious name choice for the DEC-20 OS. Bolt,
X Beranek and Newman (BBN) had developed their own system, called
X <TENEX> (TEN EXecutive), and in creating TOPS-20 DEC copied TENEX
X and adapted it for the 20. The term TWENEX was therefore a
X contraction of "twenty TENEX". DEC people cringed when they
X heard TOPS-20 referred to as "TWENEX", but the term caught on
X nevertheless. The written abbreviation "20x" was also used.
X TWENEX was successful and very popular; in fact, there was a period
X in the 1980s when it commanded almost as fervent a culture of
X partisans as UNIX or ITS --- but DEC's decision to scrap all the
X internal rivals to the VAX architecture and the relatively stodgy
X VMS OS killed the DEC-20 and put a sad end to TWENEX's brief day in
X the sun.
X
X<twiddle> n. 1. tilde (ASCII 176, "~"). Also called "squiggle",
X "sqiggle" (sic---pronounced "skig'gul"), and "twaddle", but
X twiddle is by far the most common term. 2. A small and
X insignificant change to a program. Usually fixes one bug and
X generates several new ones. 3. v. To change something in a small
X way. Bits, for example, are often twiddled. Twiddling a switch or
X knob implies much less sense of purpose than toggling or tweaking
X it; see <frobnicate>. To speak of twiddling a bit connotes
X aimlessness, and at best doesn't specify what you're doing to the
X bit; by contrast, toggling a bit has a more specific meaning (see
X <toggle>).
X
X<twink> /twink/ [UCSC] n. Equivalent to <read-only user>.
X
X<two-to-the-n> q. Used like N, but referring to bigger numbers. "I
X have two to the N things to do before I can go out for lunch"
X means you probably won't show up.
X
X<two-pi> q. The number of years it takes to finish one's thesis.
X Occurs in stories in the form: "He started on his thesis; two pi
X years later...".
X
X<twonkie> n. The software equivalent of a Twinkie; a useless
X "feature" added to look sexy and placate a <marketroid>.
X
X {= U =}
X
X<UBD> [abbreviation for "User Brain Damage"] An abbreviation used to
X close out trouble reports obviously due to utter cluelessness on
X the user's part. Compare <PBD>; see also <brain-damaged>.
X
X<undefined external reference> excl. [UNIX] Message from UNIX's
X linker. Used to indicate loose ends in an argument or discussion.
X
X<under the hood> prep. [hot-rodder talk] 1. Used to introduce the
X underlying implementation of a product (hardware, software, or
X idea). Implies that the implementation is not intuitively obvious
X from the appearance, but the speaker is about enable the listener
X to <zen> it. "Let's now look under the hood to see how ..." 2.
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.ai || echo "restore of jsplit.ai fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 0103154591 jsplit.ai
fi
exit 0