The Computer Contradictionary
Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Infobox book 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>Template:Cite web</ref> Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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.<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>Template:Cite news</ref> ACM Computing Reviews recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".<ref name=acm>Template:Cite journal</ref>