The Jargon File Version 4.2.2

by Eric S. Raymond

This document is a collection of slang terms used by various subcultures of computer hackers. Though some technical material is included for background and flavor, it is not a technical dictionary; what we describe here is the language hackers use among themselves for fun, social communication, and technical debate.

Genres: Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2009

About the author

Eric S. Raymond is an observer-participant anthropologist in the Internet hacker culture. His research has helped explain the decentralized open-source model of software development that has proven so effective in the evolution of the Internet. Mr. Raymond is also a science fiction fan, a musician, an activist for the First and Second Amendments, and a martial artist with a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

--from the author's website

Reviews

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I read v 4.0.0 from project Gutenberg.
As a wanabe hacker (in the non-pejorative sense) who's been online since the early 90's, I enjoyed this. It is a bit like reading a dictionary which is partly historical and partly humorous. If you're not into tech or have no comprehension of pre-broadband, pre-ipad network computing then I'd wonder how interesting this book would be?

[Blain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a programmer of any sort nor a 'hacker' (proper usage) but I am more than average technically inclined and interested in etymology. This book is a 'dictionary' of hacker and other computer sub-culture slang along with some historical references to origins and 'folklore'. I found it a good nightstand read; something to get me to sleep that I didn't need to remember or could put down at any point.