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The Computer Contradictionary

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The Computer Contradictionary
AuthorStan Kelly-Bootle
LanguageEnglish
Publication date
May 1995
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
Pages256 pages
ISBN0-262-61112-0

The Computer Contradictionary is a non-fiction book by Stan Kelly-Bootle that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It was originally published as 'The devil's DP dictionary'. it is an example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary.[1] Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.[2]

The book was published in May 1995 by MIT Press and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's The Devil's DP Dictionary which appeared in 1981.[3]

Examples

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Endless loop. See: Loop, endless
Loop, endless. See: Endless loop
Recursion. See: Recursion

Reception

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The Los Angeles Times panned the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book".[4] ACM Computing Reviews recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".[3]

References

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  1. ^ "The Court Jester of Computerdom". Dr Dobb's Electronic Review of Books. Archived from the original on 22 February 1997.
  2. ^ Raymond, Eric S (1996). The New Hacker's Dictionary - 3rd Edition. MIT Press. pp. 534–535.
  3. ^ a b Blackman, A (Mar 1, 1996). "Review: The computer contradictionary (2nd ed.)". ACM Computing Reviews.
  4. ^ Harris, Krissy (January 26, 1998). "Dictionaries to De-Encrypt What the Digerati Are Saying". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2012.