home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- D A T A P R O C E S S I N G D E F I N I T I O N S
-
-
-
- ACCESS TIME- THE TIME BETWEEN THE INSTANT AT WHICH INFORMATION IS CALLED FOR,
- AND THE INSTANT AT WHICH MANAGEMENT EXPECTS THE FINAL REPORT.
-
- ASSEMBLER- ONE WHO DROPS HIS CARD DECK.
-
- BIT- THE INCREMENT BY WHICH PROGRAMMERS SLOWLY GO MAD.
-
- BREAKPOINT- THE POINT AT WHICH PROGRAMMER INCREMENTS PAST LAST BIT AVAILABLE.
-
- CHAINING- A METHOD OF ATTACHING PROGRAMMERS TO DESK, TO SPEED UP OUTPUT.
-
- CHECKPOINT- THE LOCATION FROM WHICH A PROGRAMMER DRAWS HIS SALARY.
-
- CORE STORAGE- A RECEPTACLE FOR THE CENTER SECTION OF APPLES.
-
- COUNTER- AN AREA WHICH OVER MARTINI'S ARE SERVED.
-
- CRASH- WHAT A DETACHED (Q.V.) PROGRAMMER WOULD DEARLY LOVE TO DO, FOR AT LEAST
- EIGHT HOURS.
-
- DEFAULT- DE LINE WEST OF WHICH DE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WILL FLOAT OFF TO SEA AT
- DE NEXT MAJOR QUAKE.
-
- DETACHED- WHAT PROGRAMMER BECOMES AFTER THIRD DAY WITHOUT SLEEP.
-
- DEVICE- MEDIEVAL TORTURE INSTRUMENT SUCH AS THUMBSCREW, IRON MAIDEN.
-
- DISKETTES- A GROUP RECENTLY FORMED FROM OLD MEMBERS OF THE ROCKETTES.
-
- DOCUMENTATION- A MANUAL WHICH TELLS YOU HOW TO USE A PROGRAM, SYSTEM, OR
- UTILITY ONE VERSION AGO, AND WHICH IS NOW UNSUPPORTED.
-
- ERROR- WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS MADE WHEN THEY DISAGREE WITH YOUR COMPUTER OUTPUT.
-
- EXTERNAL STORAGE- WASTEBASKET
-
- FIXED WORD LENGTH- FOUR LETTER WORD USED BY PROGRAMMERS IN A STATE OF CONFUSION.
-
- FLOATING CONTROL- CHARACTERISTIC EXHIBITED WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM,
- BUT CAN'T LEAVE THE COMPUTER.
-
- FLOATING POINT- THE ABSOLUTE LIMIT BEFORE FLOATING CONTROL IS LOST.
-
- HARDWARE- NUTS, BOLTS, AND CIRCUIT BOARDS "LEFT OVER" AFTER REPAIRMAN HAS
- REASSEMBLED CPU.
-
- HOST- PERSON WHO INSISTS ON KEEPING VISITING PROGRAMMER UP UNTIL 4 AM WITH
- TRIVIA.
-
- I/O DEVICE- NOTE YOU SIGN FOR THE BANK IN/ORDER TO GET LOAN FOR NEW (OLD) CAR.
-
- LIBRARY- AN ORGANIZED COLLECTION OF OBSOLETE MATERIAL.
-
- LOAD- WHAT YOU DUMP AFTER REACHING FLOATING POINT.
-
- LOW ORDER POSITION- THE PROGRAMMER'S LOCATION IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
-
- MAINFRAME- PRIMARY PERSON WHO JUST GOT SET UP FOR THE BLAME OF THE SYSTEM CRASH.
-
- MICROSECOND- AMOUNT OF TIME NEEDED FOR A PROGRAM TO BOMB.
-
- MONITOR- SHIP THAT FOUGHT THE MERRIMAC.
-
- NANOSECOND- MEASURE OF TIME ON MORK'S PLANET ORK.
-
- OFF-LINE- UNCHARITABLE REMARKS PROGRAMMER MAKES TO WIFE OR HUSBAND UPON BEING
- PHONED AT 9PM TO COME IN BECAUSE SYSTEM JUST CRASHED.
-
- ON-LINE- PROGRAMMER TRYING TO DEAL RATIONALLY ON PHONE WITH MANAGEMENT AT 9PM.
-
- PERIPHERAL- NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T...
-
- PRINTOUT- A DOCUMENT TO VERIFY DATA YOU KNOW IS WRONG ANYWAY.
-
- PROGRAMMER- RED EYED MUMBLING MAMMAL, CAPABLE OF COMMUNICATING WITH INANIMATE
- OBJECTS.
-
- SOURCE FILE- ONE WHICH WAS "APPROPRIATED" FROM ONE OF COMPUSERVE'S COMPETITORS.
-
- SWITCH- WHEN MANAGEMENT CHANGES ITS MIND.
-
- TERMINAL- CONDITION OF DETACHED PROGRAMMER THREE DAYS FURTHER ALONG.
-