| The Computer Contradictionary | |
| Author: | Stan Kelly-Bootle |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Release Date: | May 1995 |
| Media Type: | |
| Pages: | 256 pages |
| Isbn: | 0-262-61112-0 |
The Computer Contradictionary is a non-fiction book by Stan Kelly-Bootle that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It 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.
Endless loop. See: Loop, endless
Loop, endless. See: Endless loop
Recursion. See: Recursion
The Los Angeles Times panned the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book".[3] ACM Computing Reviews recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".[4]