The Computer Contradictionary

The Computer Contradictionary by Stan Kelly-Bootle is a so-called "laxicon" of computer industry terms. It is an excellent example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of Ambrose Bierce's "The Devil's Dictionary". It was originally published as "The Devil's DP Dictionary", in New York, by McGraw-JHill in 1981. DP stood for "data processing", a term formerly used to describe the software and hardware industries. It was re-edited under the new title in Boston by MIT Press, in 1995, with the ISBN 0-262-61112-0

Kelly-Bootle adds in the "Guide":

:"The meaning of an entry should always be ascertained "before" consulting this dictionary".

Example

Infinite loop. See: Loop, infinite

Loop, infinite. See: Infinite loop.

More definitions

One is referred to "The Hacker's Dictionary" for more "literal" definitions of computer terms and usage.