The Jargon File by Eric S. Raymond (sites to read books for free .TXT) 📖

rising again as it

`tires out'. See also [1161]burn-in period, [1162]infant mortality.

Node:baud, Next:[1163]baud barf, Previous:[1164]bathtub curve,

Up:[1165]= B =

baud /bawd/ n.

[simplified from its technical meaning] n. Bits per second. Hence

kilobaud or Kbaud, thousands of bits per second. The technical meaning

is `level transitions per second'; this coincides with bps only for

two-level modulation with no framing or stop bits. Most hackers are

aware of these nuances but blithely ignore them.

Historical note: `baud' was originally a unit of telegraph signalling

speed, set at one pulse per second. It was proposed at the November,

1926 conference of the Comit� Consultatif International Des

Communications T�l�graphiques as an improvement on the then standard

practice of referring to line speeds in terms of words per minute, and

named for Jean Maurice Emile Baudot (1845-1903), a French engineer who

did a lot of pioneering work in early teleprinters.

Node:baud barf, Next:[1166]baz, Previous:[1167]baud, Up:[1168]= B =

baud barf /bawd barf/ n.

The garbage one gets a terminal (or terminal emulator) when using a

modem connection with some protocol setting (esp. line speed)

incorrect, or when someone picks up a voice extension on the same

line, or when really bad line noise disrupts the connection. Baud barf

is not completely [1169]random, by the way; hackers with a lot of

serial-line experience can usually tell whether the device at the

other end is expecting a higher or lower speed than the terminal is

set to. Really experienced ones can identify particular speeds.

Node:baz, Next:[1170]bazaar, Previous:[1171]baud barf, Up:[1172]= B =

baz /baz/ n.

[common] The third [1173]metasyntactic variable "Suppose we have

three functions: FOO, BAR, and BAZ. FOO calls BAR, which calls

BAZ...." (See also [1174]fum) 2. interj. A term of mild annoyance. In

this usage the term is often drawn out for 2 or 3 seconds, producing

an effect not unlike the bleating of a sheep; /baaaaaaz/. 3.

Occasionally appended to [1175]foo to produce `foobaz'.

Earlier versions of this lexicon derived `baz' as a Stanford

corruption of [1176]bar. However, Pete Samson (compiler of the

[1177]TMRC lexicon) reports it was already current when he joined TMRC

in 1958. He says "It came from "Pogo". Albert the Alligator, when

vexed or outraged, would shout Bazz Fazz!' orRowrbazzle!' The club

layout was said to model the (mythical) New England counties of

Rowrfolk and Bassex (Rowrbazzle mingled with

(Norfolk/Suffolk/Middlesex/Essex)."

Node:bazaar, Next:[1178]bboard, Previous:[1179]baz, Up:[1180]= B =

bazaar n.,adj.

In 1997, after meditatating on the success of [1181]Linux for three

years, the Jargon File's own editor ESR wrote an analytical paper on

hacker culture and development models titled [1182]The Cathedral and

the Bazaar. The main argument of the paper was that [1183]Brooks's Law

is not the whole story; given the right social machinery, debugging

can be efficiently parallelized across large numbers of programmers.

The title metaphor caught on (see also [1184]cathedral), and the style

of development typical in the Linux community is now often referred to

as the bazaar mode. Its characteristics include releasing code early

and often, and actively seeking the largest possible pool of peer

reviewers.

Node:bboard, Next:[1185]BBS, Previous:[1186]bazaar, Up:[1187]= B =

bboard /bee'bord/ n.

[contraction of `bulletin board'] 1. Any electronic bulletin board;

esp. used of [1188]BBS systems running on personal micros, less

frequently of a Usenet [1189]newsgroup (in fact, use of this term for

a newsgroup generally marks one either as a [1190]newbie fresh in from

the BBS world or as a real old-timer predating Usenet). 2. At CMU and

other colleges with similar facilities, refers to campus-wide

electronic bulletin boards. 3. The term `physical bboard' is sometimes

used to refer to an old-fashioned, non-electronic cork-and-thumbtack

memo board. At CMU, it refers to a particular one outside the CS

Lounge.

In either of senses 1 or 2, the term is usually prefixed by the name

of the intended board (the Moonlight Casino bboard' ormarket

bboard'); however, if the context is clear, the better-read bboards

may be referred to by name alone, as in (at CMU) "Don't post for-sale

ads on general".

Node:BBS, Next:[1191]BCPL, Previous:[1192]bboard, Up:[1193]= B =

BBS /B-B-S/ n.

[common; abbreviation, `Bulletin Board System'] An electronic bulletin

board system; that is, a message database where people can log in and

leave broadcast messages for others grouped (typically) into

[1194]topic groups. The term was especially applied to the thousands

of local BBS systems that operated during the pre-Internet

microcomputer era of roughly 1980 to 1995, typically run by amateurs

for fun out of their homes on MS-DOS boxes with a single modem line

each. Fans of Usenet and Internet or the big commercial timesharing

bboards such as CompuServe and GEnie tended to consider local BBSes

the low-rent district of the hacker culture, but they served a

valuable function by knitting together lots of hackers and users in

the personal-micro world who would otherwise have been unable to

exchange code at all. Post-Internet, BBSs are likely to be local

newsgroups on an ISP; efficiency has increased but a certain flavor

has been lost. See also [1195]bboard.

Node:BCPL, Next:[1196]beam, Previous:[1197]BBS, Up:[1198]= B =

BCPL // n.

[abbreviation, `Basic Combined Programming Language') A programming

language developed by Martin Richards in Cambridge in 1967. It is

remarkable for its rich syntax, small size of compiler (it can be run

in 16k) and extreme portability. It reached break-even point at a very

early stage, and was the language in which the original [1199]hello

world program was written. It has been ported to so many different

systems that its creator confesses to having lost count. It has only

one data type (a machine word) which can be used as an integer, a

character, a floating point number, a pointer, or almost anything

else, depending on context. BCPL was a precursor of C, which inherited

some of its features.

Node:beam, Next:[1200]beanie key, Previous:[1201]BCPL, Up:[1202]= B =

beam vt.

[from Star Trek Classic's "Beam me up, Scotty!"] 1. To transfer

[1203]softcopy of a file electronically; most often in combining forms

such as beam me a copy' orbeam that over to his site'. 2. Palm

Pilot users very commonly use this term for the act of exchanging bits

via the infrared links on their machines (this term seems to have

originated with the ill-fated Newton Message Pad). Compare

[1204]blast, [1205]snarf, [1206]BLT.

Node:beanie key, Next:[1207]beep, Previous:[1208]beam, Up:[1209]= B =

beanie key n.

[Mac users] See [1210]command key.

Node:beep, Next:[1211]Befunge, Previous:[1212]beanie key, Up:[1213]= B

=

beep n.,v.

Syn. [1214]feep. This term is techspeak under MS-DOS and OS/2, and

seems to be generally preferred among micro hobbyists.

Node:Befunge, Next:[1215]beige toaster, Previous:[1216]beep,

Up:[1217]= B =

Befunge n.

A worthy companion to [1218]INTERCAL; a computer language family which

escapes the quotidian limitation of linear control flow and embraces

program counters flying through multiple dimensions with exotic

topologies. Sadly, the Befunge home page has vanished, but a Befunge

version of the [1219]hello world program is at

[1220]http://www.catseye.mb.ca/esoteric/befunge.html.

Node:beige toaster, Next:[1221]bells and whistles,

Previous:[1222]Befunge, Up:[1223]= B =

beige toaster n.

A Macintosh. See [1224]toaster; compare [1225]Macintrash,

[1226]maggotbox.

Node:bells and whistles, Next:[1227]bells whistles and gongs,

Previous:[1228]beige toaster, Up:[1229]= B =

bells and whistles n.

[common] Features added to a program or system to make it more

[1230]flavorful from a hacker's point of view, without necessarily

adding to its utility for its primary function. Distinguished from

[1231]chrome, which is intended to attract users. "Now that we've got

the basic program working, let's go back and add some bells and

whistles." No one seems to know what distinguishes a bell from a

whistle. The recognized emphatic form is "bells, whistles, and gongs".

It used to be thought that this term derived from the toyboxes on

theater organs. However, the "and gongs" strongly suggests a different

origin, at sea. Before powered horns, ships routinely used bells,

whistles, and gongs to signal each other over longer distances than

voice can carry.

Node:bells whistles and gongs, Next:[1232]benchmark,

Previous:[1233]bells and whistles, Up:[1234]= B =

bells whistles and gongs n.

A standard elaborated form of [1235]bells and whistles; typically said

with a pronounced and ironic accent on the `gongs'.

Node:benchmark, Next:[1236]Berkeley Quality Software,

Previous:[1237]bells whistles and gongs, Up:[1238]= B =

benchmark n.

[techspeak] An inaccurate measure of computer performance. "In the

computer industry, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and

benchmarks." Well-known ones include Whetstone, Dhrystone, Rhealstone

(see [1239]h), the Gabriel LISP benchmarks (see [1240]gabriel), the

SPECmark suite, and LINPACK. See also [1241]machoflops, [1242]MIPS,

[1243]smoke and mirrors.

Node:Berkeley Quality Software, Next:[1244]berklix,

Previous:[1245]benchmark, Up:[1246]= B =

Berkeley Quality Software adj.

(often abbreviated `BQS') Term used in a pejorative sense to refer to

software that was apparently created by rather spaced-out hackers late

at night to solve some unique problem. It usually has nonexistent,

incomplete, or incorrect documentation, has been tested on at least

two examples, and core dumps when anyone else attempts to use it. This

term was frequently applied to early versions of the dbx(1) debugger.

See also [1247]Berzerkeley.

Note to British and Commonwealth readers: that's /berk'lee/, not

/bark'lee/ as in British Received Pronunciation.

Node:berklix, Next:[1248]Berzerkeley, Previous:[1249]Berkeley Quality

Software, Up:[1250]= B =

berklix /berk'liks/ n.,adj.

[contraction of `Berkeley Unix'] See [1251]BSD. Not used at Berkeley

itself. May be more common among [1252]suits attempting to sound like

cognoscenti than among hackers, who usually just say `BSD'.

Node:Berzerkeley, Next:[1253]beta, Previous:[1254]berklix, Up:[1255]=

B =

Berzerkeley /b*r-zer'klee/ n.

[from `berserk', via the name of a now-deceased record label; poss.

originated by famed columnist Herb Caen] Humorous distortion of

`Berkeley' used esp. to refer to the practices or products of the

[1256]BSD Unix hackers. See [1257]software bloat,

[1258]Missed'em-five, [1259]Berkeley Quality Software.

Mainstream use of this term in reference to the cultural and political

peculiarities of UC Berkeley as a whole has been reported from as far

back as the 1960s.

Node:beta, Next:[1260]BFI, Previous:[1261]Berzerkeley, Up:[1262]= B =

beta /bay't/, /be't/ or (Commonwealth) /bee't*/ n.

Mostly working, but still under test; usu. used with in':in

beta'. In the [1263]Real World, systems (hardware or software)

software often go through two stages of release testing: Alpha

(in-house) and Beta (out-house?). Beta releases are generally made to

a group of lucky (or unlucky) trusted customers. 2. Anything that is

new and experimental. "His girlfriend is in beta" means that he is

still testing for compatibility and reserving judgment. 3. Flaky;

dubious; suspect (since beta software is notoriously buggy).

Historical note: More formally, to beta-test is to test a pre-release

(potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software by making it

available to selected (or self-selected) customers and users. This

term derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle

checkpoints, first used at IBM but later standard throughout the

industry. `Alpha Test' was the unit, module, or component test phase;

`Beta Test' was initial system test. These themselves came from

earlier A- and B-tests for hardware. The A-test was a feasibility and

manufacturability evaluation done before any commitment to design and

development. The B-test was a demonstration that the engineering model

functioned as specified. The C-test (corresponding to today's beta)

was the B-test performed on early samples of the production design,

and the D test was the C test repeated after the model had been in

production a while.

Node:BFI, Next:[1264]bible, Previous:[1265]beta, Up:[1266]= B =

BFI /B-F-I/ n.

See [1267]brute force and ignorance. Also encountered in the variants

BFMI',brute force and massive ignorance' and BFBI'brute force

and bloody ignorance'. In dome parts of the U.S. this abbreviation was

probably reinforced by a company called Browning-Ferris Industries who

used to be in the waste-management business; a large BFI logo in

white-on-blue could be seen on the sides of garbage trucks.

Node:bible, Next:[1268]BiCapitalization, Previous:[1269]BFI,

Up:[1270]= B =

bible n.

One of a small number of fundamental source books such as

[1271]Knuth, [1272]K&R, or the [1273]Camel Book. 2. The most detailed

and authoritative reference for a particular language, operating

system, or other complex software system.

Node:BiCapitalization, Next:[1274]B1FF, Previous:[1275]bible,

Up:[1276]= B =

BiCapitalization n.

The act said to have been