Books: The New Hacker\'s Dictionary version 4.2.2

V >> Various editors >> The New Hacker\'s Dictionary version 4.2.2

Pages:
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as the user vainly tries to find the right exit sequence, with the
incorrect tries piling up at the end of the message....
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Node:plonk, Next:[10419]plug-and-pray, Previous:[10420]plokta,
Up:[10421]= P =

plonk excl.,vt.

[Usenet: possibly influenced by British slang `plonk' for cheap booze,
or `plonker' for someone behaving stupidly (latter is lit. equivalent
to Yiddish `schmuck')] The sound a [10422]newbie makes as he falls to
the bottom of a [10423]kill file. While it originated in the
[10424]newsgroup talk.bizarre, this term (usually written "*plonk*")
is now (1994) widespread on Usenet as a form of public ridicule.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:plug-and-pray, Next:[10425]plugh, Previous:[10426]plonk,
Up:[10427]= P =

plug-and-pray adj.,vi.

Parody of the techspeak term `plug-and-play', describing a PC
peripheral card which is claimed to have no need for hardware
configuration via DIP switches, and which should be work as soon as it
is inserted in the PC. Unfortunately, even the PCI bus is not up to
pulling this off reliably, and people who have to do installation or
troubleshoot PCs soon find themselves longing for the DIP switches.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:plugh, Next:[10428]plumbing, Previous:[10429]plug-and-pray,
Up:[10430]= P =

plugh /ploogh/ v.

[from the [10431]ADVENT game] See [10432]xyzzy.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:plumbing, Next:[10433]PM, Previous:[10434]plugh, Up:[10435]= P =

plumbing n.

[Unix] Term used for [10436]shell code, so called because of the
prevalence of `pipelines' that feed the output of one program to the
input of another. Under Unix, user utilities can often be implemented
or at least prototyped by a suitable collection of pipelines and
temp-file grinding encapsulated in a shell script; this is much less
effort than writing C every time, and the capability is considered one
of Unix's major winning features. A few other OSs such as IBM's VM/CMS
support similar facilities. Esp. used in the construction `hairy
plumbing' (see [10437]hairy). "You can kluge together a basic
spell-checker out of sort(1), comm(1), and tr(1) with a little
plumbing." See also [10438]tee.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:PM, Next:[10439]pnambic, Previous:[10440]plumbing, Up:[10441]= P
=

PM /P-M/

1. v. (from `preventive maintenance') To bring down a machine for
inspection or test purposes. See [10442]provocative maintenance; see
also [10443]scratch monkey. 2. n. Abbrev. for `Presentation Manager',
an [10444]elephantine OS/2 graphical user interface.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pnambic, Next:[10445]pod, Previous:[10446]PM, Up:[10447]= P =

pnambic /p*-nam'bik/

[Acronym from the scene in the film version of "The Wizard of Oz" in
which the true nature of the wizard is first discovered: "Pay no
attention to the man behind the curtain."] 1. A stage of development
of a process or function that, owing to incomplete implementation or
to the complexity of the system, requires human interaction to
simulate or replace some or all of the actions, inputs, or outputs of
the process or function. 2. Of or pertaining to a process or function
whose apparent operations are wholly or partially falsified. 3.
Requiring [10448]prestidigitization.

The ultimate pnambic product was "Dan Bricklin's Demo", a program
which supported flashy user-interface design prototyping. There is a
related maxim among hackers: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from a rigged demo." See [10449]magic, sense 1, for
illumination of this point.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pod, Next:[10450]point-and-drool interface,
Previous:[10451]pnambic, Up:[10452]= P =

pod n.

[allegedly from abbreviation POD for `Prince Of Darkness'] A Diablo
630 (or, latterly, any letter-quality impact printer). From the DEC-10
PODTYPE program used to feed formatted text to it. Not to be confused
with [10453]P.O.D..
_________________________________________________________________

Node:point-and-drool interface, Next:[10454]pointy hat,
Previous:[10455]pod, Up:[10456]= P =

point-and-drool interface n.

Parody of the techspeak term `point-and-shoot interface', describing a
windows, icons, and mouse-based interface such as is found on the
Macintosh. The implication, of course, is that such an interface is
only suitable for idiots. See [10457]for the rest of us, [10458]WIMP
environment, [10459]Macintrash, [10460]drool-proof paper. Also
`point-and-grunt interface'.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pointy hat, Next:[10461]pointy-haired,
Previous:[10462]point-and-drool interface, Up:[10463]= P =

pointy hat n.

See [10464]wizard hat. This synonym specifically refers to the wizards
of Unseen University in Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" serious of
humorous fantasies; these books are extremely popular among hackers.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pointy-haired, Next:[10465]poke, Previous:[10466]pointy hat,
Up:[10467]= P =

pointy-haired adj.

[after the character in the [10468]Dilbert comic strip] Describes the
extreme form of the property that separates [10469]suits and
[10470]marketroids from hackers. Compare [10471]brain-dead;
[10472]demented; see [10473]PHB. Always applied to people, never to
ideas. The plural form is often used as a noun. "The pointy-haireds
ordered me to use Windows NT, but I set up a Linux server with Samba
instead."
_________________________________________________________________

Node:poke, Next:[10474]poll, Previous:[10475]pointy-haired,
Up:[10476]= P =

poke n.,vt.

See [10477]peek.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:poll, Next:[10478]polygon pusher, Previous:[10479]poke,
Up:[10480]= P =

poll v.,n.

1. [techspeak] The action of checking the status of an input line,
sensor, or memory location to see if a particular external event has
been registered. 2. To repeatedly call or check with someone: "I keep
polling him, but he's not answering his phone; he must be swapped
out." 3. To ask. "Lunch? I poll for a takeout order daily."
_________________________________________________________________

Node:polygon pusher, Next:[10481]POM, Previous:[10482]poll,
Up:[10483]= P =

polygon pusher n.

A chip designer who spends most of his or her time at the physical
layout level (which requires drawing lots of multi-colored polygons).
Also `rectangle slinger'.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:POM, Next:[10484]pop, Previous:[10485]polygon pusher, Up:[10486]=
P =

POM /P-O-M/ n.

Common abbreviation for [10487]phase of the moon. Usage: usually in
the phrase `POM-dependent', which means [10488]flaky.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pop, Next:[10489]POPJ, Previous:[10490]POM, Up:[10491]= P =

pop /pop/

[from the operation that removes the top of a stack, and the fact that
procedure return addresses are usually saved on the stack] (also
capitalized `POP') 1. vt. To remove something from a [10492]stack or
[10493]PDL. If a person says he/she has popped something from his
stack, that means he/she has finally finished working on it and can
now remove it from the list of things hanging overhead. 2. When a
discussion gets to a level of detail so deep that the main point of
the discussion is being lost, someone will shout "Pop!", meaning "Get
back up to a higher level!" The shout is frequently accompanied by an
upthrust arm with a finger pointing to the ceiling. 3. [all-caps, as
`POP'] Point of Presence, a bank of dial-in lines allowing customers
to make (local) calls into an ISP. This is borderline techspeak.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:POPJ, Next:[10494]poser, Previous:[10495]pop, Up:[10496]= P =

POPJ /pop'J/ n.,v.

[from a [10497]PDP-10 return-from-subroutine instruction] To return
from a digression. By verb doubling, "Popj, popj" means roughly "Now
let's see, where were we?" See [10498]RTI.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:poser, Next:[10499]post, Previous:[10500]POPJ, Up:[10501]= P =

poser n.

A [10502]wannabee; not hacker slang, but used among crackers, phreaks
and [10503]warez d00dz. Not as negative as [10504]lamer or
[10505]leech. Probably derives from a similar usage among punk-rockers
and metalheads, putting down those who "talk the talk but don't walk
the walk".
_________________________________________________________________

Node:post, Next:[10506]postcardware, Previous:[10507]poser,
Up:[10508]= P =

post v.

To send a message to a [10509]mailing list or [10510]newsgroup.
Distinguished in context from `mail'; one might ask, for example: "Are
you going to post the patch or mail it to known users?"
_________________________________________________________________

Node:postcardware, Next:[10511]posting, Previous:[10512]post,
Up:[10513]= P =

postcardware n.

A kind of [10514]shareware that borders on [10515]freeware, in that
the author requests only that satisfied users send a postcard of their
home town or something. (This practice, silly as it might seem, serves
to remind users that they are otherwise getting something for nothing,
and may also be psychologically related to real estate `sales' in
which $1 changes hands just to keep the transaction from being a
gift.)
_________________________________________________________________

Node:posting, Next:[10516]postmaster, Previous:[10517]postcardware,
Up:[10518]= P =

posting n.

Noun corresp. to v. [10519]post (but note that [10520]post can be
nouned). Distinguished from a `letter' or ordinary [10521]email
message by the fact that it is broadcast rather than point-to-point.
It is not clear whether messages sent to a small mailing list are
postings or email; perhaps the best dividing line is that if you don't
know the names of all the potential recipients, it is a posting.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:postmaster, Next:[10522]PostScript, Previous:[10523]posting,
Up:[10524]= P =

postmaster n.

The email contact and maintenance person at a site connected to the
Internet or UUCPNET. Often, but not always, the same as the
[10525]admin. The Internet standard for electronic mail
([10526]RFC-822) requires each machine to have a `postmaster' address;
usually it is aliased to this person.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:PostScript, Next:[10527]pound on, Previous:[10528]postmaster,
Up:[10529]= P =

PostScript n.

A Page Description Language ([10530]PDL), based on work originally
done by John Gaffney at Evans and Sutherland in 1976, evolving through
`JaM' (`John and Martin', Martin Newell) at [10531]XEROX PARC, and
finally implemented in its current form by John Warnock et al. after
he and Chuck Geschke founded Adobe Systems Incorporated in 1982.
PostScript gets its leverage by using a full programming language,
rather than a series of low-level escape sequences, to describe an
image to be printed on a laser printer or other output device (in this
it parallels [10532]EMACS, which exploited a similar insight about
editing tasks). It is also noteworthy for implementing on-the fly
rasterization, from Bezier curve descriptions, of high-quality fonts
at low (e.g. 300 dpi) resolution (it was formerly believed that
hand-tuned bitmap fonts were required for this task). Hackers consider
PostScript to be among the most elegant hacks of all time, and the
combination of technical merits and widespread availability has made
PostScript the language of choice for graphical output.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pound on, Next:[10533]power cycle, Previous:[10534]PostScript,
Up:[10535]= P =

pound on vt.

Syn. [10536]bang on.
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Node:power cycle, Next:[10537]power hit, Previous:[10538]pound on,
Up:[10539]= P =

power cycle vt.

(also, `cycle power' or just `cycle') To power off a machine and then
power it on immediately, with the intention of clearing some kind of
[10540]hung or [10541]gronked state. Syn. [10542]120 reset; see also
[10543]Big Red Switch. Compare [10544]Vulcan nerve pinch,
[10545]bounce (sense 4), and [10546]boot, and see the "[10547]Some AI
Koans" (in Appendix A) about Tom Knight and the novice.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:power hit, Next:[10548]PPN, Previous:[10549]power cycle,
Up:[10550]= P =

power hit n.

A spike or drop-out in the electricity supplying your machine; a power
[10551]glitch. These can cause crashes and even permanent damage to
your machine(s).
_________________________________________________________________

Node:PPN, Next:[10552]pr0n, Previous:[10553]power hit, Up:[10554]= P =

PPN /P-P-N/, /pip'n/ n. obs.

[from `Project-Programmer Number'] A user-ID under [10555]TOPS-10 and
its various mutant progeny at SAIL, BBN, CompuServe, and elsewhere.
Old-time hackers from the PDP-10 era sometimes use this to refer to
user IDs on other systems as well.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pr0n, Next:[10556]precedence lossage, Previous:[10557]PPN,
Up:[10558]= P =

pr0n //

[Usenet, IRC] Pornography. Originally this referred only to Internet
porn but since then it has expanded to refer to just about anything.
The term comes from the [10559]warez kiddies tendency to replace
letters with numbers. At some point on IRC someone mistyped, swapped
the middle two letters, and the name stuck, then propagated over into
mainstream hacker usage. Compare [10560]filk, [10561]grilf,
[10562]hing and [10563]newsfroup.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:precedence lossage, Next:[10564]prepend, Previous:[10565]pr0n,
Up:[10566]= P =

precedence lossage /pre's*-dens los'*j/ n.

[C programmers] Coding error in an expression due to unexpected
grouping of arithmetic or logical operators by the compiler. Used esp.
of certain common coding errors in C due to the nonintuitively low
precedence levels of &, |, ^, <<, and >> (for this reason, experienced
C programmers deliberately forget the language's [10567]baroque
precedence hierarchy and parenthesize defensively). Can always be
avoided by suitable use of parentheses. [10568]LISP fans enjoy
pointing out that this can't happen in their favorite language, which
eschews precedence entirely, requiring one to use explicit parentheses
everywhere. See [10569]aliasing bug, [10570]memory leak, [10571]memory
smash, [10572]smash the stack, [10573]fandango on core, [10574]overrun
screw.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:prepend, Next:[10575]prestidigitization,
Previous:[10576]precedence lossage, Up:[10577]= P =

prepend /pree`pend'/ vt.

[by analogy with `append'] To prefix. As with `append' (but not
`prefix' or `suffix' as a verb), the direct object is always the thing
being added and not the original word (or character string, or
whatever). "If you prepend a semicolon to the line, the translation
routine will pass it through unaltered."
_________________________________________________________________

Node:prestidigitization, Next:[10578]pretty pictures,
Previous:[10579]prepend, Up:[10580]= P =

prestidigitization /pres`t*-di`j*-ti:-zay'sh*n/ n.

1. The act of putting something into digital notation via sleight of
hand. 2. Data entry through legerdemain.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pretty pictures, Next:[10581]prettyprint,
Previous:[10582]prestidigitization, Up:[10583]= P =

pretty pictures n.

[scientific computation] The next step up from [10584]numbers.
Interesting graphical output from a program that may not have any
sensible relationship to the system the program is intended to model.
Good for showing to [10585]management.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:prettyprint, Next:[10586]pretzel key, Previous:[10587]pretty
pictures, Up:[10588]= P =

prettyprint /prit'ee-print/ v.

(alt. `pretty-print') 1. To generate `pretty' human-readable output
from a [10589]hairy internal representation; esp. used for the process
of [10590]grinding (sense 1) program code, and most esp. for LISP
code. 2. To format in some particularly slick and nontrivial way.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pretzel key, Next:[10591]priesthood, Previous:[10592]prettyprint,
Up:[10593]= P =

pretzel key n.

[Mac users] See [10594]feature key.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:priesthood, Next:[10595]prime time, Previous:[10596]pretzel key,
Up:[10597]= P =

priesthood n. obs.

[TMRC] The select group of system managers responsible for the
operation and maintenance of a batch operated computer system. On
these computers, a user never had direct access to a computer, but had
to submit his/her data and programs to a priest for execution. Results
were returned days or even weeks later. See [10598]acolyte.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:prime time, Next:[10599]print, Previous:[10600]priesthood,
Up:[10601]= P =

prime time n.

[from TV programming] Normal high-usage hours on a system or network.
Back in the days of big timesharing machines `prime time' was when
lots of people were competing for limited cycles, usually the day
shift. Avoidance of prime time was traditionally given as a major
reason for [10602]night mode hacking. The term fell into disuse during
the early PC era, but has been revived to refer to times of day or
evening at which the Internet tends to be heavily loaded, making Web
access slow. The hackish tendency to late-night [10603]hacking runs
has changed not a bit.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:print, Next:[10604]printing discussion, Previous:[10605]prime
time, Up:[10606]= P =

print v.

To output, even if to a screen. If a hacker says that a program
"printed a message", he means this; if he refers to printing a file,
he probably means it in the conventional sense of writing to a
hardcopy device (compounds like `print job' and `printout', on the
other hand, always refer to the latter). This very common term is
likely a holdover from the days when printing terminals were the norm,
perpetuated by programming language constructs like [10607]C's
printf(3). See senses 1 and 2 of [10608]tty.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:printing discussion, Next:[10609]priority interrupt,
Previous:[10610]print, Up:[10611]= P =

printing discussion n.

[XEROX PARC] A protracted, low-level, time-consuming, generally
pointless discussion of something only peripherally interesting to
all.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:priority interrupt, Next:[10612]profile, Previous:[10613]printing
discussion, Up:[10614]= P =

priority interrupt n.

[from the hardware term] Describes any stimulus compelling enough to
yank one right out of [10615]hack mode. Classically used to describe
being dragged away by an [10616]SO for immediate sex, but may also
refer to more mundane interruptions such as a fire alarm going off in
the near vicinity. Also called an [10617]NMI (non-maskable interrupt),
especially in PC-land.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:profile, Next:[10618]progasm, Previous:[10619]priority interrupt,
Up:[10620]= P =

profile n.

1. A control file for a program, esp. a text file automatically read
from each user's home directory and intended to be easily modified by
the user in order to customize the program's behavior. Used to avoid
[10621]hardcoded choices (see also [10622]dot file, [10623]rc file).
2. [techspeak] A report on the amounts of time spent in each routine
of a program, used to find and [10624]tune away the [10625]hot spots
in it. This sense is often verbed. Some profiling modes report units
other than time (such as call counts) and/or report at granularities
other than per-routine, but the idea is similar. 3.[techspeak] A
subset of a standard used for a particular purpose. This sense
confuses hackers who wander into the weird world of ISO standards no
end!
_________________________________________________________________

Node:progasm, Next:[10626]proggy, Previous:[10627]profile, Up:[10628]=
P =

progasm /proh'gaz-m/ n.

[University of Wisconsin] The euphoria experienced upon the completion
of a program or other computer-related project.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:proggy, Next:[10629]proglet, Previous:[10630]progasm, Up:[10631]=
P =

proggy n.

1. Any computer program that is considered a full application. 2. Any
computer program that is made up of or otherwise contains
[10632]proglets. 3. Any computer program that is large enough to be
normally distributed as an RPM or [10633]tarball.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:proglet, Next:[10634]program, Previous:[10635]proggy, Up:[10636]=
P =

proglet /prog'let/ n.

[UK] A short extempore program written to meet an immediate, transient
need. Often written in BASIC, rarely more than a dozen lines long, and
containing no subroutines. The largest amount of code that can be
written off the top of one's head, that does not need any editing, and
that runs correctly the first time (this amount varies significantly
according to one's skill and the language one is using). Compare
[10637]toy program, [10638]noddy, [10639]one-liner wars.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:program, Next:[10640]Programmer's Cheer, Previous:[10641]proglet,
Up:[10642]= P =

program n.

1. A magic spell cast over a computer allowing it to turn one's input
into error messages. 2. An exercise in experimental epistemology. 3. A
form of art, ostensibly intended for the instruction of computers,
which is nevertheless almost inevitably a failure if other programmers
can't understand it.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:Programmer's Cheer, Next:[10643]programming,
Previous:[10644]program, Up:[10645]= P =

Programmer's Cheer

"Shift to the left! Shift to the right! Pop up, push down! Byte! Byte!
Byte!" A joke so old it has hair on it.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:programming, Next:[10646]programming fluid,
Previous:[10647]Programmer's Cheer, Up:[10648]= P =

programming n.

1. The art of debugging a blank sheet of paper (or, in these days of
on-line editing, the art of debugging an empty file). "Bloody
instructions which, being taught, return to plague their inventor"
("Macbeth", Act 1, Scene 7) 2. A pastime similar to banging one's head
against a wall, but with fewer opportunities for reward. 3. The most
fun you can have with your clothes on. 4. The least fun you can have
with your clothes off.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:programming fluid, Next:[10649]propeller head,
Previous:[10650]programming, Up:[10651]= P =

programming fluid n.

1. Coffee. 2. Cola. 3. Any caffeinacious stimulant. Many hackers
consider these essential for those all-night hacking runs. See
[10652]wirewater.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:propeller head, Next:[10653]propeller key,
Previous:[10654]programming fluid, Up:[10655]= P =

propeller head n.

Used by hackers, this is syn. with [10656]computer geek. Non-hackers
sometimes use it to describe all techies. Prob. derives from SF
fandom's tradition (originally invented by old-time fan Ray Faraday
Nelson) of propeller beanies as fannish insignia (though nobody
actually wears them except as a joke).
_________________________________________________________________

Node:propeller key, Next:[10657]proprietary, Previous:[10658]propeller
head, Up:[10659]= P =

propeller key n.

[Mac users] See [10660]feature key.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:proprietary, Next:[10661]protocol, Previous:[10662]propeller key,
Up:[10663]= P =

proprietary adj.

1. In [10664]marketroid-speak, superior; implies a product imbued with
exclusive magic by the unmatched brilliance of the company's own
hardware or software designers. 2. In the language of hackers and
users, inferior; implies a product not conforming to open-systems
standards, and thus one that puts the customer at the mercy of a
vendor able to gouge freely on service and upgrade charges after the
initial sale has locked the customer in. Often in the phrase
"proprietary crap". 3. Synonym for closed-source, e.g. software issued
in binary without source and under a restructive license.

Since the coining of the term [10665]open source, many hackers have
made a conscious effort to distinguish between `proprietary' and
`commercial' software. It is possible for software to be commercial
(that is, intended to make a profit for the producers) without being
proprietary. The reverse is also possible, for example in binary-only
freeware.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:protocol, Next:[10666]provocative maintenance,
Previous:[10667]proprietary, Up:[10668]= P =

protocol n.

As used by hackers, this never refers to niceties about the proper
form for addressing letters to the Papal Nuncio or the order in which
one should use the forks in a Russian-style place setting; hackers
don't care about such things. It is used instead to describe any set
of rules that allow different machines or pieces of software to
coordinate with each other without ambiguity. So, for example, it does
include niceties about the proper form for addressing packets on a
network or the order in which one should use the forks in the Dining
Philosophers Problem. It implies that there is some common message
format and an accepted set of primitives or commands that all parties
involved understand, and that transactions among them follow
predictable logical sequences. See also [10669]handshaking, [10670]do
protocol.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:provocative maintenance, Next:[10671]prowler,
Previous:[10672]protocol, Up:[10673]= P =

provocative maintenance n.

[common ironic mutation of `preventive maintenance'] Actions performed
upon a machine at regularly scheduled intervals to ensure that the
system remains in a usable state. So called because it is all too
often performed by a [10674]field servoid who doesn't know what he is
doing; such `maintenance' often induces problems, or otherwise results
in the machine's remaining in an unusable state for an indeterminate
amount of time. See also [10675]scratch monkey.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:prowler, Next:[10676]pseudo, Previous:[10677]provocative
maintenance, Up:[10678]= P =

prowler n.

[Unix] A [10679]daemon that is run periodically (typically once a
week) to seek out and erase [10680]core files, truncate administrative
logfiles, nuke lost+found directories, and otherwise clean up the
[10681]cruft that tends to pile up in the corners of a file system.
See also [10682]GFR, [10683]reaper, [10684]skulker.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pseudo, Next:[10685]pseudoprime, Previous:[10686]prowler,
Up:[10687]= P =

pseudo /soo'doh/ n.

[Usenet: truncation of `pseudonym'] 1. An electronic-mail or
[10688]Usenet persona adopted by a human for amusement value or as a
means of avoiding negative repercussions of one's net.behavior; a `nom
de Usenet', often associated with forged postings designed to conceal
message origins. Perhaps the best-known and funniest hoax of this type
is [10689]B1FF. See also [10690]tentacle. 2. Notionally, a
[10691]flamage-generating AI program simulating a Usenet user. Many
flamers have been accused of actually being such entities, despite the
fact that no AI program of the required sophistication yet exists.
However, in 1989 there was a famous series of forged postings that
used a phrase-frequency-based travesty generator to simulate the
styles of several well-known flamers; it was based on large samples of
their back postings (compare [10692]Dissociated Press). A significant
number of people were fooled by the forgeries, and the debate over
their authenticity was settled only when the perpetrator came forward
to publicly admit the hoax.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:pseudoprime, Next:[10693]pseudosuit, Previous:[10694]pseudo,
Up:[10695]= P =

pseudoprime n.

A backgammon prime (six consecutive occupied points) with one point
missing. This term is an esoteric pun derived from number theory: a
number that passes a certain kind of "primality test" may be called a
`pseudoprime' (all primes pass any such test, but so do some composite
numbers), and any number that passes several is, in some sense, almost
certainly prime. The hacker backgammon usage stems from the idea that
a pseudoprime is almost as good as a prime: it will do the same job
unless you are unlucky.
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Node:pseudosuit, Next:[10696]psychedelicware,
Previous:[10697]pseudoprime, Up:[10698]= P =

pseudosuit /soo'doh-s[y]oot`/ n.

A [10699]suit wannabee; a hacker who has decided that he wants to be
in management or administration and begins wearing ties, sport coats,
and (shudder!) suits voluntarily. It's his funeral. See also
[10700]lobotomy.
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Node:psychedelicware, Next:[10701]psyton, Previous:[10702]pseudosuit,
Up:[10703]= P =

psychedelicware /si:`k*-del'-ik-weir/ n.

[UK] Syn. [10704]display hack. See also [10705]smoking clover.
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Node:psyton, Next:[10706]pubic directory,
Previous:[10707]psychedelicware, Up:[10708]= P =

psyton /si:'ton/ n.

[TMRC] The elementary particle carrying the sinister force. The
probability of a process losing is proportional to the number of
psytons falling on it. Psytons are generated by observers, which is
why demos are more likely to fail when lots of people are watching.
[This term appears to have been largely superseded by [10709]bogon;
see also [10710]quantum bogodynamics. --ESR]
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Node:pubic directory, Next:[10711]puff, Previous:[10712]psyton,
Up:[10713]= P =

pubic directory /pyoob'ik d*-rek't*-ree/) n.

[NYU] (also `pube directory' /pyoob' d*-rek't*-ree/) The `pub'
(public) directory on a machine that allows [10714]FTP access. So
called because it is the default location for [10715]SEX (sense 1).
"I'll have the source in the pube directory by Friday."
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Node:puff, Next:[10716]pumpkin holder, Previous:[10717]pubic
directory, Up:[10718]= P =

puff vt.

To decompress data that has been crunched by Huffman coding. At least
one widely distributed Huffman decoder program was actually named
`PUFF', but these days it is usually packaged with the encoder. Oppose
[10719]huff, see [10720]inflate.
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Node:pumpkin holder, Next:[10721]pumpking, Previous:[10722]puff,
Up:[10723]= P =

pumpkin holder n.

See [10724]patch pumpkin.
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Node:pumpking, Next:[10725]punched card, Previous:[10726]pumpkin
holder, Up:[10727]= P =

pumpking n.

Syn. for [10728]pumpkin holder; see [10729]patch pumpkin.
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Node:punched card, Next:[10730]punt, Previous:[10731]pumpking,
Up:[10732]= P =

punched card n.obs.

[techspeak] (alt. `punch card') The signature medium of computing's
[10733]Stone Age, now obsolescent outside of some IBM shops. The
punched card actually predated computers considerably, originating in
1801 as a control device for mechanical looms. The version patented by
Hollerith and used with mechanical tabulating machines in the 1890
U.S. Census was a piece of cardboard about 90 mm by 215 mm. There is a
widespread myth that it was designed to fit in the currency trays used
for that era's larger dollar bills, but recent investigations have
falsified this.

IBM (which originated as a tabulating-machine manufacturer) married
the punched card to computers, encoding binary information as patterns
of small rectangular holes; one character per column, 80 columns per
card. Other coding schemes, sizes of card, and hole shapes were tried
at various times.

The 80-column width of most character terminals is a legacy of the IBM
punched card; so is the size of the quick-reference cards distributed
with many varieties of computers even today. See [10734]chad,
[10735]chad box, [10736]eighty-column mind, [10737]green card,
[10738]dusty deck, [10739]lace card, [10740]card walloper.
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Node:punt, Next:[10741]Purple Book, Previous:[10742]punched card,
Up:[10743]= P =

punt v.

[from the punch line of an old joke referring to American football:
"Drop back 15 yards and punt!"] 1. To give up, typically without any
intention of retrying. "Let's punt the movie tonight." "I was going to
hack all night to get this feature in, but I decided to punt" may mean
that you've decided not to stay up all night, and may also mean you're
not ever even going to put in the feature. 2. More specifically, to
give up on figuring out what the [10744]Right Thing is and resort to
an inefficient hack. 3. A design decision to defer solving a problem,
typically because one cannot define what is desirable sufficiently
well to frame an algorithmic solution. "No way to know what the right
form to dump the graph in is -- we'll punt that for now." 4. To hand a
tricky implementation problem off to some other section of the design.
"It's too hard to get the compiler to do that; let's punt to the
runtime system." 5. To knock someone off an Internet or chat
connection; a `punter' thus, is a person or program that does this.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:Purple Book, Next:[10745]purple wire, Previous:[10746]punt,
Up:[10747]= P =

Purple Book n.

1. The "System V Interface Definition". The covers of the first
editions were an amazingly nauseating shade of off-lavender. 2. Syn.
[10748]Wizard Book. Donald Lewine's "POSIX Programmer's Guide"
(O'Reilly, 1991, ISBN 0-937175-73-0). See also [10749]book titles.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:purple wire, Next:[10750]push, Previous:[10751]Purple Book,
Up:[10752]= P =

purple wire n.

[IBM] Wire installed by Field Engineers to work around problems
discovered during testing or debugging. These are called `purple
wires' even when (as is frequently the case) their actual physical
color is yellow.... Compare [10753]blue wire, [10754]yellow wire, and
[10755]red wire.
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Node:push, Next:[10756]Python, Previous:[10757]purple wire,
Up:[10758]= P =

push

[from the operation that puts the current information on a stack, and
the fact that procedure return addresses are saved on a stack] (Also
PUSH /push/ or PUSHJ /push'J/, the latter based on the PDP-10
procedure call instruction.) 1. To put something onto a [10759]stack
or [10760]PDL. If one says that something has been pushed onto one's
stack, it means that the Damoclean list of things hanging over ones's
head has grown longer and heavier yet. This may also imply that one
will deal with it before other pending items; otherwise one might say
that the thing was `added to my queue'. 2. vi. To enter upon a
digression, to save the current discussion for later. Antonym of
[10761]pop; see also [10762]stack, [10763]PDL.
_________________________________________________________________

Node:Python, Next:[10764]quad, Previous:[10765]push, Up:[10766]= P =

Python /pi:'thon/

In the words of its author, "the other scripting language" (other than
[10767]Perl, that is). Python's design is notably clean, elegant, and
well thought through; it tends to attract the sort of programmers who
find Perl grubby and exiguous. Python's relationship with Perl is
rather like the [10768]BSD community's relationship to [10769]Linux -
it's the smaller party in a (usually friendly) rivalry, but the
average quality of its developers is generally conceded to be rather
higher than in the larger community it competes with. There's a Python
resource page at [10770]http://www.python.org. See also [10771]Guido.
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Node:= Q =, Next:[10772]= R =, Previous:[10773]= P =, Up:[10774]The
Jargon Lexicon

= Q =

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