Computer jargon

(arcane computer acronym, terminology or technology)

(Computer jargon must be distinguished from hacker slang, which is the language of a certain subculture of people involved with computers. See jargon file.)

BTKATC - Between The Keyboard And The Chair; An acronym commonly used in the Technical Support Realm and in other IT instances. An error referring to the source of a linguistic or programming error. Also spelled "BCAK" (Between Chair And Keyboard).

CAD - Computer Aided Design; particular software design program, esp. architectural

CAM - Computer Aided Manufacturing; particular software design program used in manufacturing operations, esp. numerical control machines

CLI - Command Line Interface. A type of UI consisting of a text prompt to which you give commands.

CRC - Cyclic Redundancy Check; a specific type of checksum added data that can be used to verify that the data was received without bits being dropped during transimisson or storage/retrival. The calculation is done, serially, on the data using a polynomial which is selected to maximize the probability that any change in the data will be detected.

ENIAC - the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer. Arguably, the first all electronic digital computer started in 1943 and finished in 1946. Some claim that Goliath really was the first, but ENIAC has the best press agent.

Gesture recognition - interpreting body movements into text, as a command (recognizing handwriting, signlanguage, etc)

Facemail - a method of communication involving a face-to-face discussion. Becoming extinct.

FIFO - First in, first out structure. This is a queue.

GIGO - Garbage in garbage out. A reply to the explanation "The computer made an error."

GOMS - Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection rules; hard science approach to HCI developed by Card, Moran & Newell in spelled out in their book "The Psychology of Human Computer Interaction, 1983.

GUI - Graphical User Interface; Any interface that uses graphics to interact with the user. In modern parlance, is typically synonymous with WIMP: An interface based on the desktop metaphor that usually contains icons, menus and windows.

Hypertext - A text organised in a nonlinear fashion, with links between pages providing possible directions in which to read on.

ID10T error - A way technical support people use to describe a less-than-competent user. The characters resemble the word "Idiot".

Interface - parts of the computer that we work with; two different subsystems transmitting one piece of information to another;give and take of information

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Rule of thumb for software designers and network administrators - to minimize dispersion and error proneness, keep your designs small.

LIFO - Last in first out structure. A stack.

MMI - Man Machine Interface.

Nanotechnology - cellular, microscopic, level of technology

Newbie - (Also n00b and newb) a newcomer to a certain computer topic or program, usually seeking out help from more experienced users. Usually, newbie/newb is neutral, where noob/n00b is derogatory.

Comp - an abbreviated form of "computer".

Novice - a computer user that actually knows nothing, but boasts that they can figure it out.

PEBKAC - "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair". Refers to a non-existent computer problem that is actually just incompetence by the user. Allegedly, some users have ignorantly but helpfully told each level of technical support that the previous level "suspected a PEBKAC situation."

Provisioning - Provisioning can be defined as the process of expediting all the tasks between receiving a request for a service (for example: access to a web-enabled application from a potential customer) and making that service available to the customer.

QFP - Quoted for permanence.

RTFM - Read The Fucking Manual. (Can also be interpreted as the less offensive "Read the Friendly Manual".) Common answer to basic and often repeated questions, that could be avoided in the first place just by looking at the manual.

Safe / regular / atomic semantics - different guarantee levels for shared data

STFW - Search The Fucking Web. Common answer to basic and often repeated questions, that could be avoided in the first place just by searching for an answer on the web.

Treeware - paper version of something. As in, Bill Gates is reading the TreeWare version of the New York Times.

UI - User Interface, a way of controlling a computer or device. Can be graphical (see GUI) or not.

User-Friendly - The degree to which a computer user interface is adapted to interaction with human usage behavior

Wetware - a sentient organic being. Usually used for humans, but with an implicit wider scope.

white box (computer hardware) - homebrew computer system

Widget - objects that make up interfaces, i.e. mouse, menus, textbox, buttons; basic tools and objects; a mini program, usually dependent on the internet, to facilitate the exchange of information. See DesktopX, Konfabulator or Dashboard (software).

WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get (but not very often!) Most is WYSIAYG (...All You Get!).