Over the course of time I have established my own vocabulary: I use terms that aren't really words, or I use words in a way that perverts their proper usage. This document defines some of these terms and phrases for you.
Most recently added term: grep [14 November 2002]
- ApacheAdmin
- Somebody who understands how to configure and modify the Apache webserver software. Apache is a great piece of open source software that is used heavily to drive websites. We want to learn about Apache.
- boss man (or boss person)
- The person that relies on you (the programmer) for their success. I've had numerous bosses and those that I've liked the best are those that left me alone.
- core dump
- When huge amounts of information is dispensed without interruption. To me, a good Instructor is one that is good at core dumping on a variety of computing-related topics.
- cracker
- A person that accesses a machine without permission. Here is a detailed definition from Webopedia. A cracker should not be confused with a hacker. As a rule hackers do not like crackers. Hackers are generally good, crackers are almost always bad. [ More... | Wikipedia: Hacking]
- I've adopted Donald Knuth's suggestion and dropped the hyphen from e-mail. In fact, I dropped the hyphen on all "e-" phrases (e.g. ecommerce, ezine, eboard, echat, esoldier, etc.), but this idea did not work. [e.g. If you write emotion then is it the word emotion or is it e-motion?]
- grep
- Unix systems come with a command named grep that searches files for patterns. Anytime I need to search for anything, then I need to grep for it. Example: I need to grep for my keys.
- homepage
- The first webpage of a website is it's homepage. Some people use webpages called "splash screens," but I don't do them. The first webpage to a website is the most important webpage. It better be good if you want people to be continuous visitors to your website.
- hyperlink
- A hyper-link is a select-able connection from one word (or phrase), picture, or information object to another. Hyperlinks are used in hyper-text (hypertext) systems. In many instances, the term link is used to mean hyperlink. The hyperlink -- so simple, yet so powerful. I like to exclaim... the Power of the Hyperlink.
- linkrot
- A hyperlink is suffering from linkrot if clicking on it results in some sort of a "page not found error." Linkrot sucks. A good website should be void of linkrot. GDT suffers from serious linkrot. [In some cases, a hyperlink suffering linkrot is referred to as a stale hyperlink.]
- memory leak
- The inability to remember certain things. I use age for excuse, but sometimes I think it is true. The older I get, the more memory leaks I experience.
- stuff
- Large quantities of important things that are collected together and given the name stuff. There is good stuff and bad stuff.
- sucks
- Something that is really, really bad. Awful. Terrible. Worst than having an ingrown toe nail surgically removed by a quack. Here is a website that doesn't suck, its called www.suck.com. [Note: During late 2001 people stopped working on Suck.com. These days the website displays archived postings.]
- swapped out
- When one's mind goes blank. (Happens to me all the time.)
- SysAdmin
- SysAdmin refers to system administration or system administrators (I am forever mis-typing the word administrator).
- webpage
- A file fetched from the Internet that is displayed in a browser.
- webserver
- Software that is responsible for fetching Internet resources.
- website
- A collection of one or more related webpages.
- YAA
- YAA is Yet-Another-Ancronym. YAA stems from the Unix yacc command. The yacc command is yet-another-compiler-compiler (i.e. it is a command the can be used to write a compiler program). I have defined YABO (Yet-Another-Buffer-Overflow) and YACO (Yet-Another-Computer-Organization) and YACLL (Yet-Another-C-Like-Language).
GDT::Objects
- GDT::Bit
- A small, fast down-loading screen that focuses on a specific topic. These items typically contain numerous hyperlinks.
- GDT::Blogger
- GDT contains numerous bloggers such as the MOTD, Internet Observer, Security Watchdog, Unix and Linux Logger, Computing Bits, and Biotech Trekker.
- GDT::Course
- A course put on by me -- GDT (i.e. G.D. Thurman).
- GDT::Finger
- An electronic finger (efinger). This resource allows me to give somebody the Finger via the Internet. [click for an offensive finger]
- GDT::Foo
- A small piece of information (usually of a personal nature) that is of little or no importance. [ RFC 3092::Etymology of Foo]
- GDT::Thanks
- The way we acknowledge those who provide good stuff to use on the website.
Author: Gerald D. Thurman
[gdt@deru.com]
Created: 15 July 1999