The Jargon File v2.2.1 15 DEC 1990, part 9 of 10
Eric S. Raymond
eric at snark.thyrsus.com
Sun Dec 16 14:02:02 AEST 1990
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X
X 6. The assumption that objects can be arbitrarily large with
X no special considerations (again, not true on segmented
X architectures);
X
X 7. The assumption that the parameters of a routine are stored
X in memory, contiguously, and in strictly ascending or
X descending order (fails on many RISC architectures).
X
X 8. The assumption that bits and addressable units within an
X object are ordered in the same way and that this order is
X a constant of nature (fails on BIG-ENDIAN machines).
X
X 9. The assumption that it is meaningful to compare pointers to
X different objects not located within the same array, or to
X objects of different types (the former fails on segmented
X architectures, the latter on word-oriented machines with
X multiple pointer formats).
X
X 10. The assumption that a pointer to any one type can freely be
X cast into a pointer to any other type (fails on word-
X oriented machines with multiple pointer formats).
X
X 11. The assumption that "int" is 32 bits (fails on 286-based
X systems under some compilers), or (nearly equivelantly) the
X assumption that sizeof(int) == sizeof(long).
X
X 12. The assumption that argv[] is writeable (fails in some
X embedded-systems C environments).
X
X 13. The assumption that characters are signed (fails on the
X 68000 series and elsewhere).
X
X 14. The assumption that all pointers are the same size and
X format, which means you don't have to worry about getting
X the types correct in calls (fails on word-oriented
X machines with multiple pointer formats).
X
X Note that a programmer can be validly be accused of VAXOCENTRISM
X even if he/she has never seen a VAX. The terms "vaxocentricity"
X and "all-the-world's-a-VAX syndrome" have been used synonymously.
X
XVEEBLEFESTER /vee'b at l-fes-tr/ [from the "Born Loser" comix via
X Commodore; prob originally from Mad Magazine's "Veeblefeetzer" c.
X 1960] n. Any obnoxious person engaged in the alleged professions
X of marketing or management. Antonym of HACKER. Compare SUIT,
X MARKETROID.
X
XVENUS FLYTRAP [after the plant] n. See FIREWALL.
X
XVERBIAGE /ver'bee- at j/ [IBM] n. Documentation.
X
XVERSION 7 alt. V7 /vee-se'vn/ n. The 1978 unsupported release of UNIX
X (q.v.) ancestral to all current commercial versions. Before the
X release of the POSIX/SVID standards V7's features were often
X treated as a UNIX portability baseline. See BSD, USG UNIX, UNIX.
X Some old-timers impatient with commercialization and kernel bloat
X still maintain V7 was the Last True UNIX.
X
XVI /vee ie/, *not* /vie/ and NEVER /siks/ [from `Visual Editor'] n. A
X screen editor CRUFTED TOGETHER by Bill Joy for an early BSD
X version. Became the de-facto standard UNIX editor until displaced
X by EMACS after about 1984. Tends to frustrate new users no end, as
X it will neither take commands while accepting input text nor vice
X versa, and it is easy to forget which mode one is in (see CHOKE,
X GAG, BARF). Nevertheless it is still widely used for small editing
X jobs (mainly because it starts up faster than bulky EMACS) and many
X hackers take some trouble to maintain their vi reflexes.
X
XVIRGIN adj. Unused, in reference to an instantiation of a program.
X "Let's bring up a virgin system and see if it crashes again."
X Esp. useful after contracting a VIRUS (q.v.) through SEX (q.v.).
X Also, by extension, unused buffers and the like within a program.
X
XVIRUS [from SF] n. A cracker program that propagates itself by
X `infecting' (embedding itself in) other trusted programs,
X especially operating systems. See WORM, TROJAN HORSE.
X
XVIRTUAL adj. 1. Common alternative to LOGICAL (q.v.), but never used
X with compass directions. 2. Performing the functions of. Virtual
X memory acts like real memory but isn't. This word is nearly
X synonymous with LOGICAL, but is never used of directions. Note
X that for any thing X, a logical X is either a real X or a virtual
X X, but not both.
X
XVIRTUAL REALITY n. 1. Computer simulations that involve 3D graphics
X and use devices such as the Dataglove to allow the user interact
X with the simulation. See CYBERSPACE. 2. A form of network
X interaction incorporating aspects of role-playing games,
X interactive theater, improvisational comedy and "true
X confessions" magazines. In a "virtual reality" forum (such as
X USENET's alt.callahans newsgroup or the MUD experiments on
X Internet) interaction between the participants is written like a
X shared novel complete with scenery, "foreground characters" which
X may be personae utterly unlike the people who write them, and
X common "background characters" manipulable by all parties. The
X one iron law is that you may not write irreversible changes to a
X character without the consent of the person who "owns" it.
X Otherwise anything goes. See BAMF, CYBERSPACE.
X
XVISIONARY n. One who hacks vision, in the sense of an Artificial
X Intelligence researcher working on the problem of getting computers
X to "see" things using TV cameras. (There isn't any problem in
X sending information from a TV camera to a computer. The problem
X is, how can the computer be programmed to make use of the camera
X information? See SMOP.)
X
XVMS /vee em ess/ n. DEC's proprietary operating system for their VAX
X minicomputer; one of the seven or so environments that loom largest
X in hacker folklore. Many UNIX fans generously concede that VMS
X would probably be the hacker's favorite commercial OS if UNIX
X didn't exist; though true, this makes VMS fans furious. One major
X hacker gripe with it is its slowness, thus the following limerick:
X
X There once was a system called VMS
X Of cycles by no means abstemious.
X It's chock-full of hacks
X And runs on a VAX
X And makes my poor stomach all squeamious.
X ---The Great Quux
X
X See also VAX, TOPS-10, TOPS-20, UNIX.
X
XVULCAN NERVE PINCH n. [From the old Star Trek TV series via Commodore
X Amiga hackers] The keyboard combination that forces a soft-boot or
X jump to ROM monitor (on machines that support such a feature). On
X many micros this is Ctrl-Alt-Del; on Macintoshes, it is
X <Cmd>-<Power switch>! Also called THREE-FINGER SALUTE.
X
XVULTURE CAPITALIST n. Pejorative hackerism for "venture capitalist",
X deriving from the common practice of pushing contracts that deprive
X inventors of both control over their own innovations and most of
X the money they ought to have made from them.
X
X {= W =}
X
XWABBIT /wab'it/ [almost certainly from Elmer Fudd's immortal line
X "you wascal wabbit!"] n. 1. A legendary early hack reported on
X a System/360 at RPI and elsewhere around 1978. The program would
X reproduce itself twice every time it was run, eventually crashing
X the system. 2. By extension, any hack that includes infinite
X self-replication but is not a VIRUS or WORM. See also COOKIE
X MONSTER.
X
XWALDO /wol'doh/ [probably taken from the story "Waldo", by
X Heinlein, which is where the term was first used to mean a
X mechanical adjunct to a human limb] At Harvard (particularly by Tom
X Cheatham and students) this is used instead of FOOBAR as a
X meta-syntactic variable and general nonsense word. See FOO, BAR,
X FOOBAR, QUUX.
X
XWALKING DRIVES n. An occasional failure mode of magnetic-disk drives
X back in the days when they were 14" wide WASHING MACHINES. Those
X old DINOSAURS carried terrific angular momentum; the combination of
X a misaligned spindle or worn bearings and stick-slip interactions
X with the floor could cause them to "walk" across a room, lurching
X alternate corners forward a couple of millimeters at a time. There
X is a legend about a drive that walked over to the only door to the
X computer room and jammed it shut; the staff had to cut a hole in
X the wall in order to get at it! Walking could also be induced by
X certain patterns of drive access (a fast seek across the whole
X width of the disk, followed by a slow seek in the other direction).
X It is known that some bands of old-time hackers figured out how to
X induce disk-accessing patterns that would do this to particular
X drive models and held disk-drive races. This is not a joke!
X
XWALL [WPI] interj. 1. An indication of confusion, usually spoken with
X a quizzical tone. "Wall??" 2. A request for further
X explication. Compare OCTAL FORTY.
X
X It is said that "WALL?" really came from "talking to a blank
X wall". It was initially used in situations where, after one
X carefully answered a question, the questioner stared at you
X blankly, having understood nothing that was explained. One would
X then throw out a "HELLO, WALL?" to elicit some sort of response
X from the questioner. Later, confused questioners began voicing
X "WALL?" themselves.
X
X There is an anecdote about a child in a hospital who is addressed
X by a nurse over an intercom and replies "What do you want, Wall?"
X
XWALL TIME n. 1. `Real world' time (what the clock on the wall shows)
X as opposed to the system clock's idea of time. 2. The real running
X time of a program, as opposed to the number of CLOCKS required to
X execute it (on a timesharing system these will differ, as no one
X program gets all the CLOCKS).
X
XWALLPAPER n. 1. A file containing a listing (e.g., assembly listing)
X or transcript, esp. a file containing a transcript of all or part
X of a login session. (The idea was that the LPT paper for such
X listings was essentially good only for wallpaper, as evidenced at
X Stanford where it was used as such to cover windows.) Usage: not
X often used now, esp. since other systems have developed other terms
X for it (e.g., PHOTO on TWENEX). However, the UNIX world doesn't
X have an equivalent term, so perhaps WALLPAPER will take hold there.
X The term probably originated on ITS, where the commands to begin
X and end transcript files were :WALBEG and :WALEND, with default
X file DSK:WALL PAPER. 2. The background pattern used on graphical
X workstations (this is jargon under the "Windows" graphical user
X interface to MS-DOS). 3. WALLPAPER FILE n. The file that contains
X the wallpaper information before it is actually printed on paper.
X (Sometimes you don't intend ever to produce a real paper copy of
X the file, because you can look at the file directly on your
X terminal, but it is still called a "wallpaper file".)
X
XWASHING MACHINE n. Old-style hard disks in floor-standing cabinets.
X So called because of the size of the cabinet and the
X "top-loading" access to the media packs -- and, of coaurse, they
X were always set on "spin cycle". The washing-machine idiom
X transcends language barriers; it's even used in Russian hacker
X jargon. See WALKING DRIVES. The thick channel cables connecting
X these were called BIT HOSE (see HOSE).
X
XWEASEL [Cambridge University] A "naive user", one who deliberately
X or accidentally does things which are stupid or ill-advised.
X Roughly synonymous with LUSER.
X
XWEDGED adj. 1. To be stuck, incapable of proceeding without help.
X This is different from having CRASHED. If the system has crashed,
X then it has become totally non-functioning. If the system is
X wedged, it is trying to do something but cannot make progress; it
X may be capable of doing a few things, but not be fully operational.
X For example, the system may become wedged if the disk controller
X fries; there are some things you can do without using the disks,
X but not many. Being wedged is slightly milder than being HUNG.
X Also see GRONK, LOCKED UP, HOSED. 2. This term is sometimes used
X as a synonym for DEADLOCKED (q.v). 3. Often refers to humans
X suffering misconceptions. 4. [UNIX] Specifically used to describe
X the state of a TTY left in a losing state by abort of a
X screen-oriented program or one that has messed with the line
X discipline in some obscure way. 5. WEDGITUDE (wedj'i-tood) n. The
X quality or state of being wedged.
X
XWEEBLE /weeb'l/ [Cambridge University] interj. Use to denote
X frustration, usually at amazing stupidity. "I stuck the disk in
X upside down." "Weeble..." Compare GURFLE.
X
XWEEDS n. Refers to development projects or algorithms that have no
X possible relevance or practical application. Comes from "off in
X the weeds". Used in phrases like "lexical analysis for microcode
X is serious weeds..."
X
XWELL-BEHAVED adj. 1. [primarily MS-DOS] Said of software conforming to
X system interface guidelines and standards. Well behaved software
X uses the operating system to do chores such as keyboard input,
X allocating memory and drawing graphics. Oppose ILL-BEHAVED. 2.
X Software that does its job quietly and without counterintuitive
X effects. Esp. said of software having an interface spec
X sufficiently simple and well-defined that it can be used as a tool
X by other software.
X
XWELL-CONNECTED adj. Said of a computer installation, this means it has
X reliable email links with THE NETWORK and/or relays a large
X fraction of available USENET newsgroups.
X
XWETWARE n. 1. The human brain, as opposed to computer hardware or
X software (as in "Wetware has at most 7 +/- 2 registers"). 2.
X Human beings (programmers, operators, administrators) attached to a
X computer system, as opposed to the system's hardware or software.
X
XWHAT n. The question mark character ("?"). See QUES. Usage: rare,
X used particularly in conjunction with WOW.
X
XWHEEL [from Twenex, q.v.] n. A privileged user or WIZARD (sense #2).
X The term was invented on the TENEX operating system, and carried
X over to TWENEX, Xerox-IFS, and others. It entered the UNIX culture
X from TWENEX and has been gaining popularity there (esp. at
X university sites). Privilege bits are sometimes called WHEEL BITS.
X The state of being in a privileged logon is sometimes called WHEEL
X MODE. See also ROOT.
X
XWHEEL WARS [Stanford University] A period in LARVAL STAGE during which
X student wheels hack each other by attempting to log each other out
X of the system, delete each other's files, and otherwise wreak havoc,
X usually at the expense of the lesser users.
X
XWHITE BOOK, THE n. Kernighan & Ritchie's _The_C_Programming_Language_,
X esp. the classic and influential first edition. Also called simply
X "K&R". See RED BOOK, GREEN BOOK, BLUE BOOK, WHITE BOOK, PURPLE
X BOOK, SILVER BOOK, ORANGE BOOK, PINK-SHIRT BOOK, DRAGON BOOK.
X
XWIBNI [Bell Labs, Wouldn't It Be Nice If] n. What most requirements
X documents/specifications consist entirely of. Compare IWBNI.
X
XWIDGET n. 1. A meta-thing. Used to stand for a real object in
X didactic examples (especially database tutorials). Legend has it
X that the original widgets were holders for buggy whips. 2. A user
X interface object in X Window System graphical user interfaces.
X
XWIMP ENVIRONMENT n. [acronymic from Window, Icon, Mouse, Pointer] A
X graphical-user-interface based environment, as described by a
X hacker who prefers command-line interfaces for their superior
X flexibility and extensibility.
X
XWIN [from MIT jargon] 1. v. To succeed. A program wins if no
X unexpected conditions arise. 2. Success, or a specific instance
X thereof. A pleasing outcome. A FEATURE. 3. BIG WIN: n.
X Serendipity. Emphatic forms: MOBY WIN, SUPER WIN, HYPER-WIN (often
X used interjectively as a reply). For some reason SUITABLE WIN is
X also common at MIT, usually in reference to a satisfactory solution
X to a problem. 4. WIN BIG v. To experience serendipity. "I went
X shopping and won big; there was a two-for-one sale." 5. WIN WIN
X interj. Expresses pleasure at a WIN. Oppose LOSE.
X
XWINNAGE /win'@j/ n. The situation when a lossage is corrected, or when
X something is winning. Quite rare. Usage: also quite rare.
X
XWINNER 1. n. An unexpectedly good situation, program, programmer or
X person. 2. REAL WINNER: Often sarcastic, but also used as high
X praise.
X
XWINNITUDE /win'i-tood/ n. The quality of winning (as opposed to
X WINNAGE, which is the result of winning). "That's really great!
X Boy, what winnitude!"
X
XWIREHEAD n. [prob. from notional SF slang for an electrical brain
X stimulation junkie] 1. A hardware hacker, especially one who
X concentrates on communications hardware. 2. An expert in local
X area networks. A wirehead can be a network software wizard too,
X but will always have the ability to deal with network hardware,
X down to the smallest component. Wireheads are known for their
X ability to lash up an Ethernet terminator from spare resistors, for
X example.
X
XWISH LIST n. A list of desired features or bug fixes that probably
X won't get done for a long time, usually because the person
X responsible for the code is too busy or can't think of a clean way
X to do it.
X
XWIZARD n. 1. A person who knows how a complex piece of software or
X hardware works (that is, who GROKS it); esp. someone who can find
X and fix bugs quickly in an emergency. This term differs somewhat
X from HACKER. Someone is a hacker if he has general hacking
X ability, but is only a wizard with respect to something if he has
X specific detailed knowledge of that thing. A good hacker could
X become a wizard for something given the time to study it. 2. A
X person who is permitted to do things forbidden to ordinary people.
X For example, an Adventure wizard at Stanford may play the Adventure
X game during the day, which is forbidden (the program simply refuses
X to play) to most people because it uselessly consumes too many
X CYCLES. 3. A UNIX expert, esp. a UNIX systems programmer. This
X usage is well enough established that UNIX WIZARD is a recognized
X job title at some corporations and to most headhunters. See GURU.
X
XWIZARD MODE [from nethack] n. A special access mode of a program or
X system, usually passworded, that permits some users godlike
X privileges. Generally not used for operating systems themselves
X (ROOT MODE or WHEEL MODE would be used instead).
X
XWIZARDLY adj. Pertaining to wizards. A wizardly FEATURE is one that
X only a wizard could understand or use properly.
X
XWOMBAT [Waste Of Money, Brains and Time] adj. Applied to problems
X which are both profoundly UNINTERESTING in themselves and unlikely
X to benefit anyone interesting even if solved. Often used in
X fanciful constructions such as WRESTLING WITH A WOMBAT. See also
X CRAWLING HORROR, SMOP.
X
XWONKY /won'kee/ [from Australian slang] adj. Yet another approximate
X synonym for BROKEN. Specifically connotes a malfunction which
X produces behavior seen as crazy, humorous, or amusingly perverse.
X "That was the day the printer's font logic went wonky and
X everybody's listings came out in Elvish." Also in WONKED OUT. See
X FUNKY.
X
XWORM [from `tapeworm' in John Brunner's _Shockwave_Rider_, via XEROX
X PARC] n. A cracker program that propagates itself over a network,
X reproducing itself as it goes. See `VIRUS'. Perhaps the best known
X example was RTM's `Internet Worm' in '88, a `benign' one that got
X out of control and shut down hundreds of Suns and VAXen nationwide.
X See VIRUS, TROJAN HORSE, ICE.
X
XWOUND AROUND THE AXLE adj. In an infinite loop. Often used by older
X computer types, along with "out in the WEEDS".
X
XWOW See EXCL.
X
XWRAP AROUND v., WRAPAROUND n. 1. This is "jargon" in its normal
X computer usage, i.e., describing the action of a counter that
X starts over at 0 or at MINUS INFINITY after its maximum value has
X been reached, and continues incrementing, either because it is
X programmed to do so, or because of an overflow like a car's
X odometer starting over at 0. 2. To CHANGE PHASE gradually and
X continuously by maintaining a steady wake-sleep cycle somewhat
X longer than 24 hours, e.g. living 6 long days in a week.
X
XWRITE-ONLY CODE [a play on "read-only memory"] n. Code sufficiently
X arcane, complex, or ill-structured that it cannot be modified or
X even comprehended by anyone but the original author. A BAD THING.
X
XWRITE-ONLY LANGUAGE n. A language with syntax (or semantics)
X sufficiently dense and bizarre that any routine of significant size
X is WRITE-ONLY CODE. A sobriquet often applied to APL (q.v.), though
X INTERCAL certainly deserves it more.
X
XWRONG THING, THE n. A design, action or decision which is clearly
X incorrect or inappropriate. Often capitalized; always emphasized
X in speech as if capitalized. The opposite of the RIGHT THING; more
X generally, anything that is not the RIGHT THING. In cases were
X "the good is the enemy of the best", the merely good, while good,
X is nevertheless the WRONG THING.
X
XWUGGA WUGGA /wuh'guh wuh'guh/ n. Imaginary sound that a computer
X program makes as it labors with a tedious or difficult task.
X Compare CRUNCHA CHRUNCHA CRUNCHA, GRIND GRIND.
X
XWYSIWYG /wiz'ee-wig/ adj. User interface (usu. text or graphics
X editor) characterized as being "what you see is what you get;" as
X opposed to one which uses more-or-less obscure commands which do
X not result in immediate visual feedback. The term can be mildly
X derogatory, as it is often used to refer to dumbed-down interfaces
X targeted at non-programmers, while a hacker has no fear of obscure
X commands. On the other hand, EMACS was one of the very first
X WYSIWYG editors, replacing (actually, at first overlaying) the
X extremely obscure, command-based TECO.
X
X {= X =}
X
XX /eks/ n. 1. Used in various speech and writing contexts in roughly
X its algebraic sense of "unknown within a set defined by context"
X (compare `N'). Thus: the abbreviation 680x0 stands for 68000,
X 68010, 68020, 68030 or 68040, and 80x86 stands for 80186, 80286
X 80386 or 80486 (note that a UNIX hacker might write these as
X 680[01234]0 and 80[1234]86 or 680?0 and 80?86 respectively; see
X GLOB). 2. An over-sized, over-featured, over-engineered window
X system developed at MIT and widely used on UNIX systems.
X
XXOR /eks'ohr/ conj. Exclusive or. "A xor B" means "A or B, but
X not both". Example: "I want to get cherry pie XOR a banana
X split." This derives from the technical use of the term as a
X function on truth-values that is true if either of two arguments is
X true but not both.
X
XXREF v.,n. Hackish standard abbreviation for `cross-reference'.
X
XXYZZY /exs-wie-zee-zee-wie/ or /ik-zi'zee/ [from the ADVENT game] adj.
X The CANONICAL "magic word". This comes from ADVENT (q.v.), in
X which the idea is to explore an underground cave with many rooms to
X collect treasure. If you type XYZZY at the appropriate time, you
X can move instantly between two otherwise distant points. If,
X therefore, you encounter some bit of MAGIC, you might remark on
X this quite succinctly by saying simply "XYZZY"! Example:
X "Ordinarily you can't look at someone else's screen if he has
X protected it, but if you type quadruple-bucky-CLEAR the system will
X let you do it anyway." "XYZZY!" XYZZY has actually been
X implemented as an undocumented no-op command on several OSs; in
X Data General's AOS/VS, for example, it would typically respond
X "Nothing happens." just as ADVENT did before a player had
X performed the action that enabled the word. See PLUGH.
X
X {= Y =}
X
XYA* ["Yet Another"] abbrev. In hackish acronyms this almost
X invariably expands to `Yet Another' following the precedent set by
X UNIX yacc(1). See YABA.
X
XYABA /ya'buh/ [Cambridge University] n. Yet Another Bloody Acronym.
X Whenever some program is being named, someone invariably suggests
X that it be given a name which is acronymic. The response from
X those with a trace of originality is to remark ironically that the
X proposed name would then be "YABA-compatible". Also used in
X response to questions like "What is WYSIWYG?" "YABA." See also
X TLA.
X
XYOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO UNDERSTAND THIS cav. [UNIX] Canonical comment
X describing something MAGIC or too complicated to bother explaining
X properly. From a comment in the context-switching code of the V6
X UNIX kernel.
X
XYOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HACKING TOO LONG WHEN... The set-up line for a
X genre of one-liners told by hackers about themselves. These include
X the following:
X
X * not only do you check your email more often than your paper
X mail, but you remember your NETWORK ADDRESS faster than your
X postal one.
X * your SO kisses you on the neck and the first thing you
X think is "Uh, oh, PRIORITY INTERRUPT" (q.v.).
X * you go to balance your checkbook and discover that you're
X doing it in octal.
X * your computers have a higher street value than your car.
X * `round numbers' are powers of 2, not 10.
X * you've woken up more than once to recall of a dream in C
X or LISP.
X * you realize you've never met half of your best friends.
X
X All but one of these have been reliably reported as hacker traits
X (some of them quite often). Even hackers may have trouble spotting
X the ringer.
X
XYOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY cav. [from the standard disclaimer attached to
X EPA mileage ratings by American car manufacturers] A ritual warning
X often found in UNIX freeware distributions. Translates roughly as
X "Hey, I tried to write this portably but who *knows* what'll
X happen on your system?"
X
XYOW! /yow/ [from Zippy the Pinhead comix] interj. Favored hacker
X expression of humorous surprise or emphasis. "Yow! Check out what
X happens when you twiddle the foo option on this display hack!"
X Compare GURFLE, MUMBLE FROTZ.
X
XYOYO MODE n. State in which the system is said to be when it rapidly
X alternates several times between being up and being down.
X
XYU-SHIANG WHOLE FISH /yoo-shyang hohl fish/ n. obs. The character
X gamma (extended SAIL ASCII 11), which with a loop in its tail looks
X like a little fish swimming down the page. The term is actually
X the name of a Chinese dish in which a fish is cooked whole (not
X PARSED) and covered with Yu Shiang sauce. Usage: was used
X primarily by people on the MIT LISP Machine, which could display
X this character on the screen. Tends to elicit incredulity from
X people who hear about it second-hand.
X
X {= Z =}
X
XZAP 1. n. Spiciness. 2. v. To make food spicy. 3. v. To make someone
X "suffer" by making his food spicy. (Most hackers love spicy
X food. Hot-and-sour soup is considered wimpy unless it makes you
X blow your nose for the rest of the meal.) 4. ZAPPED adj. Spicy.
X This term is used to distinguish between food that is hot (in
X temperature) and food that is "hot", that is, spicy. For
X example, the Chinese appetizer Bon Bon Chicken is a kind of chicken
X salad that is cold but zapped. See also ORIENTAL FOOD, LASER
X CHICKEN.
X
XZEN v. To figure out something by meditation, or by a sudden flash of
X enlightenment. Originally applied to bugs, but occasionally
X applied to problems of life in general. "How'd you figure out the
X buffer allocation problem?" "Oh, I zenned it". Contrast GROK,
X which connotes a time-extended version of zenning a system. Compare
X HACK MODE.
X
XZERO v. 1. To set to zero. Usually said of small pieces of data, such
X as bits or words. 2. To erase; to discard all data from. Said of
X disks and directories, where "zeroing" need not involve actually
X writing zeroes throughout the area being zeroed. One may speak of
X something being "logically zeroed" rather than being "physically
X zeroed". See SCRIBBLE.
X
XZIPPERHEAD [IBM] n. A person with a closed mind.
X
XZOMBIE [UNIX] n. A process which has been killed but has not yet
X relinquished its process table slot (because the parent process
X hasn't executed a wait(2) for it yet). These show up in ps(1)
X listings occasionally. Compare ORPHAN.
X
XZORK /zork/ n. Second of the great early experiments in computer
X fantasy gaming; see ADVENT. Originally written on MIT-DMS during
X the late seventies, later distributed with BSD UNIX and
X commercialized as "The Zork Trilogy" by Infocom.
X
X
XAppendix A: Hacker Folklore
X***************************
X
XThis appendix contains several fables and legends which illuminate
Xthe meaning of various entries in the main text. All of this material
Xexcept THE UNTIMELY DEMISE OF MABEL THE MONKEY appeared in the 1983
Xpaper edition of the Jargon File (but not in the previous on-line
Xversions).
X
XThe Meaning of "Hack"
X*********************
X
X"The word HACK doesn't really have 69 different meanings," according
Xto Phil Agre, an MIT hacker. "In fact, HACK has only one meaning, an
Xextremely subtle and profound one which defies articulation. Which
Xconnotation is implied by a given use of the word depends in similarly
Xprofound ways on the context. Similar remarks apply to a couple of
Xother hacker words, most notably RANDOM."
X
XHacking might be characterized as "an appropriate application of
Xingenuity". Whether the result is a quick-and-dirty patchwork job or
Xa carefully crafted work of art, you have to admire the cleverness
Xthat went into it.
X
XAn important secondary meaning of `hack' is `a creative practical
Xjoke'. This kind of hack is often easier to explain to non-hackers
Xthan the programming kind. Accordingly, here are three examples of
Xpractical joke hacks:
X
XIn 1961, students from Caltech (California Institute of Technology in
XPasadena) hacked the Rose Bowl football game. One student posed as a
Xreporter and "interviewed" the director of the University of
XWashington card stunts (such stunts involve people in the stands who
Xhold up colored cards to make pictures). The reporter learned exactly
Xhow the stunts were operated, and also that the director would be out
Xto dinner later.
X
XWhile the director was eating, the students (who called themselves the
X"Fiendish Fourteen") picked a lock and stole one of the direction
Xsheets for the card stunts. They then had a printer run off 2300
Xcopies of the sheet. The next day they picked the lock again and
Xstole the master plans for the stunts, large sheets of graph paper
Xcolored in with the stunt pictures. Using these as a guide, they
Xcarefully made "corrections" for three of the stunts on the
Xduplicate instruction sheets. Finally, they broke in once more,
Xreplacing the stolen master plans and substituting the stack of
Xaltered instruction sheets for the original set.
X
XThe result was that three of the pictures were totally different.
XInstead of spelling "WASHINGTON", the word "CALTECH" was flashed.
XAnother stunt showed the word "HUSKIES", the Washington nickname,
Xbut spelled it backwards. And what was supposed to have been a
Xpicture of a husky instead showed a beaver. (Both Caltech and MIT use
Xthe beaver as a mascot. Beavers are nature's engineers.)
X
XAfter the game, the Washington faculty athletic representative said,
X"Some thought it ingenious; others were indignant." The Washington
Xstudent body president remarked, "No hard feelings, but at the time
Xit was unbelievable. We were amazed."
X
XThis is now considered a classic hack, particularly because revising
Xthe direction sheets constituted a form of programming not unlike
Xcomputer programming.
X
XAnother classic hack:
X
XOne winter, late at night, an MIT fraternity hosed down an underpass
Xthat is part of a commuter expressway near MIT. This produced an ice
Xslick that "trapped" a couple of small cars: they didn't have the
Xmomentum or traction to climb out of the underpass. While it was
Xclever to apply some simple science to trap a car, it was also very
Xdangerous as it could have caused a collision. Therefore this was a
Xvery poor hack overall. (There is another story about an even less
Xappealing hack in which some MIT students used thermite to weld a
Xtrolley car to its tracks. The story may be apocryphal, however.)
X
XAnd yet another:
X
XOn November 20, 1982, MIT hacked the Harvard-Yale football game. Just
Xafter Harvard's second touchdown against Yale in the second quarter, a
Xsmall black ball popped up out of the ground at the 40-yard line, and
Xgrew bigger, and bigger, and bigger. The letters "MIT" appeared all
Xover the ball. As the players and officials stood around gawking, the
Xball grew to six feet in diameter and then burst with a bang and a
Xcloud of white smoke.
X
XAs the Boston Globe later reported, "If you want to know the truth,
XM.I.T. won The Game."
X
XThe prank had taken weeks of careful planning by members of MIT's
XDelta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. The device consisted of a weather
Xballoon, a hydraulic ram powered by Freon gas to lift it out of the
Xground, and a vacuum-cleaner motor to inflate it. They made eight
Xseparate expeditions to Harvard Stadium between 1 and 5 AM, in which
Xthey located an unused 110-volt circuit in the stadium, and ran buried
Xwiring from the stadium circuit to the 40-yard line, where they buried
Xthe balloon device. When the time came to activate the device, two
Xfraternity members had merely to flip a circuit breaker and push a
Xplug into an outlet.
X
XThis stunt had all the earmarks of a perfect hack: surprise,
Xpublicity, the ingenious use of technology, safety, and harmlessness.
XThe use of manual control allowed the prank to be timed so as not to
Xdisrupt the game (it was set off between plays, so the outcome of the
Xgame would not be unduly affected). The perpetrators had even
Xthoughtfully attached a note to the balloon explaining that the device
Xwas not dangerous and contained no explosives.
X
XHarvard president Derek Bok commented: "They have an awful lot of
Xclever people down there at MIT, and they did it again." President
XPaul E. Gray of MIT said, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor
Xthat I had anything to do with it, but I wish there were." Such is
Xthe way of all good hacks.
X
XThe Untimely Demise of Mabel the Monkey (a Cautionary Tale)
X***********************************************************
X
X The following, modulo a couple of inserted commas and capitalization
Xchanges for readability, is the exact text of a famous USENET message.
XThe reader may wish to review the definitions of PM and MOUNT in the main
Xtext before continuing.
X
X Date: Wed 3 Sep 86 16:46:31-EDT
X From: "Art Evans" <Evans at TL-20B.ARPA>
X Subject: Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
X To: Risks at CSL.SRI.COM
X
XMy friend Bud used to be the intercept man at a computer vendor for
Xcalls when an irate customer called. Seems one day Bud was sitting at
Xhis desk when the phone rang.
X
X Bud: Hello. Voice: YOU KILLED MABEL!!
X B: Excuse me? V: YOU KILLED MABEL!!
X
XThis went on for a couple of minutes and Bud was getting nowhere, so he
Xdecided to alter his approach to the customer.
X
X B: HOW DID I KILL MABEL? V: YOU PM'ED MY MACHINE!!
X
XWell, to avoid making a long story even longer, I will abbreviate what had
Xhappened. The customer was a Biologist at the University of Blah-de-blah,
Xand he had one of our computers that controlled gas mixtures that Mabel (the
Xmonkey) breathed. Now, Mabel was not your ordinary monkey. The University
Xhad spent years teaching Mabel to swim, and they were studying the effects
Xthat different gas mixtures had on her physiology. It turns out that the
Xrepair folks had just gotten a new Calibrated Power Supply (used to
Xcalibrate analog equipment), and at their first opportunity decided to
Xcalibrate the D/A converters in that computer. This changed some of the gas
Xmixtures and poor Mabel was asphyxiated. Well, Bud then called the branch
Xmanager for the repair folks:
X
X Manager: Hello
X B: This is Bud, I heard you did a PM at the University of
X Blah-de-blah.
X M: Yes, we really performed a complete PM. What can I do
X for you?
X B: Can you swim?
X
XThe moral is, of course, that you should always mount a scratch monkey.
X
X ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
X
XThere are several morals here related to risks in use of computers.
XExamples include, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." However, the
Xcautious philosophical approach implied by "always mount a scratch
Xmonkey" says a lot that we should keep in mind.
X
X Art Evans
X Tartan Labs
X
XTV Typewriters: A Tale Of Hackish Ingenuity
X*******************************************
X
XHere is a true story about a glass tty. One day an MIT hacker was in
Xa motorcycle accident and broke his leg. He had to stay in the
Xhospital quite a while, and got restless because he couldn't HACK (use
Xthe computer). Two of his friends therefore took a display terminal
Xand a telephone connection for it to the hospital, so that he could
Xuse the computer by telephone from his hospital bed.
X
XNow this happened some years before the spread of home computers, and
Xcomputer terminals were not a familiar sight to the average person.
XWhen the two friends got to the hospital, a guard stopped them and
Xasked what they were carrying. They explained that they wanted to
Xtake a computer terminal to their friend who was a patient.
X
XThe guard got out his list of things that patients were permitted to
Xhave in their rooms: TV, radio, electric razor, typewriter, tape
Xplayer... no computer terminals. Computer terminals weren't on the
Xlist, so they couldn't take it in. Rules are rules.
X
XFair enough, said the two friends, and they left again. They were
Xfrustrated, of course, because they knew that the terminal was as
Xharmless as a TV or anything else on the list... which gave them an
Xidea.
X
XThe next day they returned, and the same thing happened: a guard
Xstopped them and asked what they were carrying. They said, "This is
Xa TV typewriter!" The guard was skeptical, so they plugged it in and
Xdemonstrated it. "See? You just type on the keyboard and what you
Xtype shows up on the TV screen." Now the guard didn't stop to think
Xabout how utterly useless a typewriter would be that didn't produce
Xany paper copies of what you typed; but this was clearly a TV
Xtypewriter, no doubt about it. So he checked his list: "A TV is all
Xright, a typewriter is all right... okay, take it on in!"
X
XTwo Stories About "Magic" (As Told By Guy Steele)
X*************************************************
X
XWhen Barbara Steele was in her fifth month of pregnancy, her doctor
Xsent her to a specialist to have a sonogram made to determine whether
Xthere were twins. She dragged her husband Guy along to the
Xappointment. It was quite fascinating; as the doctor moved an
Xinstrument along the skin, a small TV screen showed cross-sectional
Xpictures of the abdomen.
X
XNow Barbara and I had both studied computer science at MIT, and we
Xboth saw that some complex computerized image-processing was involved.
XOut of curiosity, we asked the doctor how it was done, hoping to learn
Xsome details about the mathematics involved. The doctor, not knowing
Xour educational background, simply said, "The probe sends out sound
Xwaves, which bounce off the internal organs. A microphone picks up
Xthe echoes, like radar, and send the signals to a computer---and the
Xcomputer makes a picture." Thanks a lot! Now a hacker would have
Xsaid, "... and the computer *magically* makes a picture,"
Ximplicitly acknowledging that he has glossed over an extremely
Xcomplicated process.
X
XSome years ago I was snooping around in the cabinets that housed the
XMIT AI Lab's PDP-10, and noticed a little switch glued to the frame of
Xone cabinet. It was obviously a homebrew job, added by one of the
Xlab's hardware hackers (no one know who).
X
XYou don't touch an unknown switch on a computer without knowing what
Xit does, because you might crash the computer. The switch was labeled
Xin a most unhelpful way. It had two positions, and scrawled in pencil
Xon the metal switch body were the words "magic" and "more magic".
XThe switch was in the "more magic" position.
X
XI called another hacker over to look at it. He had never seen the
Xswitch before either. Closer examination revealed that the switch
Xonly had one wire running to it! The other end of the wire did
Xdisappear into the maze of wires inside the computer, but it's a basic
Xfact of electricity that a switch can't do anything unless there are
Xtwo wires connected to it. This switch had a wire connected on one
Xside and no wire on its other side.
X
XIt was clear that this switch was someone's idea of a silly joke.
XConvinced by our reasoning that the switch was inoperative, we flipped
Xit. The computer instantly crashed.
X
XImagine our utter astonishment. We wrote it off as coincidence, but
Xnevertheless restored the switch to the "more magic" position before
Xreviving the computer.
X
XA year later, I told this story to yet another hacker, David Moon as I
Xrecall. He clearly doubted my sanity, or suspected me of a
Xsupernatural belief in the power of this switch, or perhaps thought I
Xwas fooling him with a bogus saga. To prove it to him, I showed him
Xthe very switch, still glued to the cabinet frame with only one wire
Xconnected to it, still in the "more magic" position. We scrutinized
Xthe switch and its lone connection, and found that the other end of
Xthe wire, though connected to the computer wiring, was connected to a
Xground pin. That clearly made the switch doubly useless: not only was
Xit electrically nonoperative, but it was connected to a place that
Xcouldn't affect anything anyway. So we flipped the switch.
X
XThe computer promptly crashed.
X
XThis time we ran for Richard Greenblatt, a long-time MIT hacker, who
Xwas close at hand. He had never noticed the switch before, either.
XHe inspected it, concluded it was useless, got some diagonal cutters
Xand diked it out. We then revived the computer and it ran fine ever
Xsince.
X
XWe still don't know how the switch crashed the machine. There is a
Xtheory that some circuit near the ground pin was marginal, and
Xflipping the switch changed the electrical capacitance enough to upset
Xthe circuit as millionth-of-a-second pulses went through it. But
Xwe'll never know for sure; all we can really say is that the switch
Xwas MAGIC.
X
XI still have that switch in my basement. Maybe I'm silly, but I
Xusually keep it set on "more magic."
X
XA Selection of AI Koans
X***********************
X
X These are perhaps the funniest examples of a genre of jokes told at
Xthe MIT AI lab about various noted computer scientists and hackers.
X
X
X* * *
X
X A novice was trying to fix a broken Lisp machine by turning the power
Xoff and on.
X
X Knight, seeing what the student was doing spoke sternly: "You can not
Xfix a machine by just power-cycling it with no understanding of what
Xis going wrong."
X
X Knight turned the machine off and on.
X
X The machine worked.
X
X[Ed note: This is much funnier if you know that Tom Knight was one of the
X Lisp machine's principal designers]
X
X
X* * *
X
XOne day a student came to Moon and said, "I understand how to
Xmake a better garbage collector. We must keep a reference count
Xof the pointers to each cons."
X
XMoon patiently told the student the following story:
X
X "One day a student came to Moon and said, "I understand how
X to make a better garbage collector...
X
X[Ed. note: The point here is technical. Pure reference-count garbage
X collectors have problems with `pathological' structures that point
X to themselves.]
X
X
X* * *
X
XIn the days when Sussman was a novice Minsky once came to him as
Xhe sat hacking at the PDP-6.
X
X "What are you doing?", asked Minsky.
X
X "I am training a randomly wired neural net to play Tic-Tac-Toe",
XSussman replied.
X
X "Why is the net wired randomly?", asked Minsky.
X
X "I do not want it to have any preconceptions of how to play",
XSussman said.
X
X Minsky then shut his eyes.
X
X "Why do you close your eyes?", Sussman asked his teacher.
X
X "So that the room will be empty."
X
X At that moment, Sussman was enlightened.
X
X
X* * *
X
X A disciple of another sect once came to Drescher as he was
Xeating his morning meal.
X
X "I would like to give you this personality test", said the
Xoutsider, "because I want you to be happy."
X
X Drescher took the paper that was offered him and put it
Xinto the toaster, saying:
X
X "I wish the toaster to be happy, too."
X
XAppendix B: The High Moby -- Obsolescent Terms From Jargon-1
X************************************************************
X
X The following terms appeared in the main listing of the original
XJargon File, but have been rendered obsolescent by the passage of
Xtime, the march of technology, the death of the DEC PDP-10, and the
XMay 1990 shutdown of the ITS machines. They are collected here for
Xpossible historical interest.
X
X
XAOS /aus/ (East coast), /ay-ahs/ (West coast) [based on a PDP-10
X increment instruction] v. 1. To increase the amount of something.
X "Aos the campfire." Usage: considered silly, and now
X obsolescent. See SOS. Now largely supplanted by BUMP. 2. A crufty
X MULTICS-derived OS supported at one time by Data General.
X
X Sense #1 was the name of a PDP-10 instruction that takes any memory
X location in the computer and adds one to it; AOS means "Add One
X and do not Skip". Why, you may ask, does the "S" stand for "do
X not Skip" rather than for "Skip"? Ah, here is a beloved piece
X of PDP-10 folklore. There are eight such instructions: AOSE adds
X one and then skips the next instruction if the result is Equal to
X zero; AOSG adds one and then skips if the result is Greater than
X zero; AOSN adds one and then skips if the result is Not zero; AOSA
X adds one and then skips Always; and so on. Just plain AOS doesn't
X say when to skip, so it never skips. For similar reasons, AOJ
X means "Add One and do not Jump". Even more bizarre, SKIP means
X "do not SKIP"! If you want to skip the next instruction, you
X must say "SKIPA". Likewise, JUMP means "do not JUMP" (see JRST
X below).
X
XBIG BLT, THE /big belt, th@/ n., obs. Shuffling operation on the
X PDP-10 under some operating systems that consumes a significant
X amount of computer time. See BLT in the main listing.
X
XBIN /bin/ [short for BINARY; used as a second file name on ITS] 1. n.
X BINARY. 2. BIN FILE: A file containing the BIN for a program.
X Usage: used at MIT, which runs on ITS. The equivalent term at
X Stanford was DMP (pronounced "dump") FILE. Other names used
X include SAV ("save") FILE (DEC and Tenex), SHR ("share") and LOW
X FILES (DEC), and COM FILES (CP/M), and EXE ("ex'ee") FILE (DEC,
X Twenex, MS-DOS, occasionally UNIX). Also in this category are the
X input files to the various flavors of linking loaders (LOADER,
X LINK-10, STINK), called REL FILES. See EXE in main text.
X
XCHINE NUAL n.,obs. The Lisp Machine Manual, so called because the
X title was wrapped around the cover so only those letters show.
X
XCOM[M] MODE /kom mohd/ [from the ITS feature for linking two or more
X terminals together so that text typed on any is echoed on all,
X providing a means of conversation among hackers; spelled with one
X or two Ms] Syn. for TALK MODE in main text.
X
XDIABLO /dee-ah'blow/ [from the Diablo printer] 1. n. Any letter-
X quality printing device. 2. v. To produce letter-quality output
X from such a device. See LASE, POD in main listing.
X
XDMP /dump/ See BIN.
X
XDPB /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.
X
XDRAGON [ITS; UNIX calls this a DAEMON or DEMON] n. A program similar
X to a DAEMON, except that it doesn't sit around waiting for
X something to happen, but is instead used by the system to perform
X various useful tasks that just have to be done periodically. A
X typical example would be an accounting program that accumulates
X statistics, keeps track of who is logged in, and so on. Another
X example: most timesharing systems have several terminals, and at
X any given time some are in use and some are sitting idle; the idle
X ones usually sit there with some idiotic message on their screens,
X such as "Logged off.", from the last time someone used it. The
X ITS timesharing system at MIT puts these idle terminals to good use
X by displaying useful information on them, such as who is using the
X computer, where they are, what they're doing, what their telephone
X numbers are, and so on, along with other information such as pretty
X pictures (the picture collection included a unicorn, Snoopy, and
X the U.S.S. Enterprise from Star Trek). All this information was
X displayed on idle terminals by the `name dragon', so called because
X it originally printed just the names of the users. (That it now
X shows all kinds of things, including useless though pretty
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.ai || echo "restore of jsplit.ai fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 1215215290 jsplit.ai
fi
exit 0
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