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

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.

[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.

Node:power cycle, Next:[10537]power hit, Previous:[10538]pound on,

Up:[10539]= P =

power cycle vt.

(also, cycle power' or justcycle') 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 withappend' (but not

prefix' orsuffix' 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 /prest*-dij-ti:-zay'shn/ n.

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 generatepretty' 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' andprintout', 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]=