Jargon File

Jargon File

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branch to Fishkill n. [IBM: from the location of one of the corporation's facilities] Any unexpected jump in a program that produces catastrophic or just plain weird results.
See jump off i...
bread crumbs n.
break 1. vt. To cause to be broken (in any sense).
"Your latest patch to the editor broke the paragraph commands....
break-even point n. In the process of implementing a new computer language, the point at which the language is sufficiently effective that one can implement the language in itself.
That is, ...
breath-of-life packet n.
breedle n. See feep.
Breidbart Index /bri:d'bart ind*ks/ A measurement of the severity of spam invented by long-time hacker Seth Breidbart, used for programming cancelbots.
The Breidbart Index takes into account ...
bring X to its knees v. [common] To present a machine, operating system, piece of software, or algorithm with a load so extreme or pathological that it grinds to a halt.
To bring a MicroV...
brittle adj. Said of software that is functional but easily broken by changes in operating environment or configuration, or by any minor tweak to the software itself.
Also, any system tha...
broadcast storm n. [common] An incorrect packet broadcast on a network that causes most hosts to respond all at once, typically with wrong answers that start the process over again.
See...

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