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BKINTDCT.RVW   960610
 
"The Internet Dictionary", Christian Crumlish, 1995, 0-7821-1675-2, U$12.99
%A   Christian Crumlish xian@netcom.com
%C   2021 Challenger Drive, Alameda, CA   94501
%D   1995
%G   0-7821-1675-2
%I   Sybex Computer Books
%O   U$12.99 510-523-8233 800-227-2346 Fax: 510-523-2373 info@sybex.com
%P   226
%T   "The Internet Dictionary"
 
As a very basic guide, there is less useful material in "The Internet
Dictionary" than in Pfaffenberger's "The Internet in Plain English" (cf.
BKINTIPE.RVW).  Even Hoffman's "The Instant Internet Reference" (cf.
BKININRF.RVW) provides more helpful direction on common Internet applications,
although it doesn't have as many references.
 
Crumlish does not succeed in being either as funny or as informative as "The
New Hacker's Dictionary" (cf. BKNHACKD.RVW), despite the fact that he must have
known it existed: he gave it an entry.  (Two entries, in fact, one of which is
in error.  "The Hacker's Dictionary" was not Eric Raymond's publication, but
the earlier book by Guy Steele.)  TNHD contains explanations of the history,
derivation and full implications of the terminology.  The short entries
Crumlish provides only barely scratch the surface meaning of certain items,
such as B1FF.  B1FF is not merely prototypical, but is almost a Platonic ideal
of the wannabe Internaut.  Netizens used to create spoof posts and mailings
from B1FF to encourage the legend that he really did exist.
 
While few entries are positively misleading, the reader really can't trust the
material.  The entries for "Trojan horse" and "worm" aren't bad, but the one
for "virus" is.  A "letterbomb" is possible, but it is unlikely the average
user will ever see one.  The reader can't trust much of the internal
information, either.  "Hack" points to "crack"--which doesn't exist.  "Cracker"
points to a non-existent entry for "real world".  (Too bad: I was rather
looking forward to that one.)  Entries may or may not indicate the part of
speech or pronunciation.  Ordering is odd: symbols get a separate section, but
are arranged in alphabetical order by the "name" Crumlish assigns to them. 
("!" is listed as exclamation, not "bang".  Fair enough, but "!" comes before
"/", and after "//".  Why?  "//" is "double slash".)  Numbers, on the other
hand, are arranged as if they were spelled out in full.  (Does "System V" come
before or after "system operator"?  Neither: it isn't listed.)  (Where would
you look up "^H"?  Not under symbols, not under C [for "caret H" or "control-
H"], but under H.)  Crumlish, like C, ignores whitespace: "crack root" comes
after "cracking".
 
Another oddity is the inclusion of entries for various Internet service
providers and BBSes.  As these are listed alphabetically by name, they are
unlikely to be of any use.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996   BKINTDCT.RVW   960610

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