The Computer Contradictionary - Revision history

imported>Altenmann: removed Category:1995 books; added Category:1995 non-fiction books using HotCat

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removed Category:1995 books; added Category:1995 non-fiction books using HotCat

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imported>Tamzin: Undid revision 1246998378 by 110.226.182.220 (talk) explained better in next paragraph

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Undid revision 1246998378 by 110.226.182.220 (talk) explained better in next paragraph

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	'''''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]]''.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html\|title=The Court Jester of Computerdom\|work=[[Dr Dobb's]] Electronic Review of Books\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970222035805/http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html\|archive-date=22 February 1997}}</ref> Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.<ref>{{cite book\|last=Raymond\|first=Eric S\|title=The New Hacker's Dictionary - 3rd Edition\|year=1996\|publisher=MIT Press\|pages=534–535}}</ref>		'''''The Computer Contradictionary''''' is a [[non-fiction]] book by [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]] that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It is an example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of [[Ambrose Bierce]]'s ''[[The Devil's Dictionary]]''.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html\|title=The Court Jester of Computerdom\|work=[[Dr Dobb's]] Electronic Review of Books\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970222035805/http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html\|archive-date=22 February 1997}}</ref> Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.<ref>{{cite book\|last=Raymond\|first=Eric S\|title=The New Hacker's Dictionary - 3rd Edition\|year=1996\|publisher=MIT Press\|pages=534–535}}</ref>

	The book was published in May 1995 by [[MIT Press]] and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's ''The Devil's [[data processing\|DP]] Dictionary'' which appeared in 1981.<ref name=acm/>		The book was published in May 1995 by [[MIT Press]] and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's ''The Devil's [[data processing\|DP]] Dictionary'' which appeared in 1981.<ref name=acm/>

2601:602:482:AB5D:2470:43B7:E99D:A5EF: /* Reception */

2025-03-24T21:49:03Z

Reception

New page

{{Short description|Satirical dictionary of computer industry terms}}{{Infobox book|
| name = The Computer Contradictionary
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = The Computer Contradictionary.jpg| caption =
| author = [[Stan Kelly-Bootle]]
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series =
| genre =
| publisher =
| release_date = May 1995
| english_release_date =
| media_type = Print
| pages = 256 pages
| isbn = 0-262-61112-0
| dewey=
| congress=
| oclc=
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
'''''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]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html|title=The Court Jester of Computerdom|work=[[Dr Dobb's]] Electronic Review of Books|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970222035805/http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html|archive-date=22 February 1997}}</ref> Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.<ref>{{cite book|last=Raymond|first=Eric S|title=The New Hacker's Dictionary - 3rd Edition|year=1996|publisher=MIT Press|pages=534–535}}</ref>

The book was published in May 1995 by [[MIT Press]] and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's ''The Devil's [[data processing|DP]] Dictionary'' which appeared in 1981.<ref name=acm/>

== Examples ==
:'''Endless loop'''. See: ''Loop, endless''

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

:'''Recursion'''. See: ''Recursion''

==Reception==
The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', which praised the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book".<ref>{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Krissy|title=Dictionaries to De-Encrypt What the Digerati Are Saying|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/26/business/fi-12245/2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305225312/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/26/business/fi-12245/2|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 5, 2016|date=January 26, 1998|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=29 October 2012}}</ref> ''ACM Computing Reviews'' recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".<ref name=acm>{{cite journal|last=Blackman|first=A|title=Review: The computer contradictionary (2nd ed.)|journal=ACM Computing Reviews|date=Mar 1, 1996|url=http://www.computingreviews.com/review/review_review.cfm?review_id=119416}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Computer Contradictionary}}

[[Category:Satirical books]]
[[Category:MIT Press books]]
[[Category:1995 books]]
[[Category:Computer humour]]

{{compu-book-stub}}