The Hackers Dictionary | Page 3

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#========= THIS IS THE JARGON FILE, VERSION 2.9.10, 01 JUL 1992
=========#

This is the Jargon File, a comprehensive compendium of hacker slang illuminating many
aspects of hackish tradition, folklore, and humor.
This document (the Jargon File) is in the public domain, to be freely used, shared, and
modified. There are (by intention) no legal restraints on what you can do with it, but there
are traditions about its proper use to which many hackers are quite strongly attached.
Please extend the courtesy of proper citation when you quote the File, ideally with a
version number, as it will change and grow over time. (Examples of appropriate citation
form: "Jargon File 2.9.10" or "The on-line hacker Jargon File, version 2.9.10, 01 JUL
1992".)
The Jargon File is a common heritage of the hacker culture. Over the years a number of
individuals have volunteered considerable time to maintaining the File and been
recognized by the net at large as editors of it. Editorial responsibilities include: to collate
contributions and suggestions from others; to seek out corroborating information; to
cross-reference related entries; to keep the file in a consistent format; and to announce
and distribute updated versions periodically. Current volunteer editors include:
Eric Raymond [email protected] (215)-296-5718
Although there is no requirement that you do so, it is considered good form to check with
an editor before quoting the File in a published work or commercial product. We may
have additional information that would be helpful to you and can assist you in framing
your quote to reflect not only the letter of the File but its spirit as well.
All contributions and suggestions about this file sent to a volunteer editor are gratefully
received and will be regarded, unless otherwise labelled, as freely given donations for
possible use as part of this public-domain file.
From time to time a snapshot of this file has been polished, edited, and formatted for
commercial publication with the cooperation of the volunteer editors and the hacker
community at large. If you wish to have a bound paper copy of this file, you may find it
convenient to purchase one of these. They often contain additional material not found in
on-line versions. The two `authorized' editions so far are described in the Revision
History section; there may be more in the future.
:Introduction: **************
:About This File: =================
This document is a collection of slang terms used by various subcultures of computer
hackers. Though some technical material is included for background and flavor, it is not a
technical dictionary; what we describe here is the language hackers use among
themselves for fun, social communication, and technical debate.
The `hacker culture' is actually a loosely networked collection of subcultures that is
nevertheless