The Jargon File

(version 4.4.7)

Table of Contents

• Welcome to the Jargon File

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1. Hacker Slang and Hacker Culture
  • 1.2. Of Slang, Jargon, and Techspeak
  • 1.3. Revision History
  • 1.4. Jargon Construction
    • Verb Doubling
    • Soundalike Slang
    • The -P Convention
    • Overgeneralization
    • Spoken inarticulations
    • Anthropomorphization
    • Comparatives
  • 1.5. Hacker Writing Style
  • 1.6. Email Quotes and Inclusion Conventions
  • 1.7. Hacker Speech Style
  • 1.8. International Style
  • 1.9. Crackers, Phreaks, and Lamers
  • 1.10. Pronunciation Guide
  • 1.11. Other Lexicon Conventions
  • 1.12. Format for New Entries

• 2. The Jargon Lexicon
  • Glossary

• 3. Appendices
  • Hacker Folklore
    • The Meaning of ‘Hack’
    • TV Typewriters: A Tale of Hackish Ingenuity
    • A Story About ‘Magic’
    • Some AI Koans
      • Tom Knight and the Lisp Machine
      • Moon instructs a student
      • Sussman attains enlightenment
      • Drescher and the toaster
    • OS and JEDGAR
    • The Story of Mel
  • A Portrait of J. Random Hacker
    • General Appearance
    • Dress
    • Reading Habits
    • Other Interests
    • Physical Activity and Sports
    • Education
    • Things Hackers Detest and Avoid
    • Food
    • Politics
    • Gender and Ethnicity
    • Religion
    • Ceremonial Chemicals
    • Communication Style
    • Geographical Distribution
    • Sexual Habits
    • Personality Characteristics
    • Weaknesses of the Hacker Personality
    • Miscellaneous
  • Helping Hacker Culture Grow
  • Bibliography