Control + Alt + Delete: A Dictionary of Cyberslang

by Jonathon Keats

“Not since Dr. Johnson explained the English language to the people of his time has there been a lexicon so witty, deep and indispensable. For any citizen of either the analog or ­digital space who wishes to live in this century instead of the last, this is required reading.”Stanley Bing, author and columnist for FORTUNE magazine Bug—A minor glitch in computer software or hardware that often results in major problems for the user or owner. According to legend, the first bug to cause system malfunction was a moth caught in one of the relays of a Mark II computer at Harvard shortly after World War II. Podcast—Audio or video programming automatically downloaded from the Internet onto a portable MP3 player, such as the Apple iPod, for listening or viewing on the go. Thumbing—A method of texting on a portable device, such as a cell phone, by typing with one or both thumbs. Frazzing—Frenzied multitasking, as occurs when the combined output of cell phone, PDA, and laptop overwhelms the processing power of the human brain. Web—The abbreviated name of the World Wide Web, also often shortened to www. In Chinese, the Web is called the wan wei wang, meaning “ten thousand-dimensional net.” The technology revolution is also a revolution in ­language, with new words created seemingly every day. And along with a new vocabulary comes the mortifying fear of being out of the loop. Control + Alt + Delete is a reference book that will inform and entertain you while decoding the fast-changing language of high-tech ­culture.

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Jonathon Keats is an American conceptual artist and experimental philosopher known for creating large-scale thought experiments. Keats was born in New York City and studied philosophy at Amherst College. He now lives in San Francisco and Italy.

Reviews

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like his tone, in the way he write, because it feels like you are chatting with an expert that give you a quick feedback on the meaning of words that are only in the IT industry.

During the time I spend reading this book most of the vocabulary is not up-to-date. Most of the terminology would be new in 2007, but in 2016 this is the bread and butter. The need of write a new version is necessary.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

comprehensive dictionary on computer lingo; enjoyable read