BKIBMDCT.RVW 950307 "IBM Dictionary of Computing", George McDaniel, 1994, 0-07-031489-6, U$24.95 %A George McDaniel ibmterms@vnet.ibm.com %C 2600 Tenth St., Berkeley, CA 94710 %D 1994 %G 0-07-031489-6 %I McGraw-Hill, Inc. %O U$24.95 510-548-2805 800-227-0900 lkissing@osborne.mhs.compuserve.com %P 758 %T "IBM Dictionary of Computing" The fact that the cover of this book is red is the last piece of humour you'll find in it. There isn't even an entry for "This page intentionally left blank." Pity. The jargon contained herein is oriented to IBM's technology, though not uniquely. Terms are included from two ANSI dictionaries (X3.172-1990 and EIA 440-A) and the International Organization for Standardization document ISO/IEC JTC1/SC1 document. Still, this will be quite handy when those who work with *real* computers have to translate for the blue suits. Net people can regard this as a rather old document: ftp is listed (capitalized) but neither HTML nor Gopher appear. Given that the majority of entries are either special definitions for common English words, or phrases of English words, the lack of any pronunciation or part-of-speech guidance is understandable. Less usual is the listing of cross references (see also, contrast, etc.) as additional definitions. (This format is not consistent throughout.) Some of the additional definitions are decidedly odd, such as: "About... (1) In SAA Common User Access architecture, a help action that displays ownership and copyright information about the application. (2) In SAA Common User Access architecture, a help action that displays the logo window of the application." It is also very easy for errors of omission to slip into a work of this size, though I must say that I'm a bit put out that *both* "virus" and "worm" point to "attack", while "attack" points back to neither. The need for a definition for a lapel mike (especially since it is defined as "synonymous with lavalier") escapes me. I thought I had found some good old hacker-speak when I got to "punch and crunch editing", until I found that the "preferred" term--"assemble editing"--refers to video production. I guess IBMers have to deal more directly with media people than with programmers. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKIBMDCT.RVW 950307 ============== Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca | Ceterum Institute for Rob.Slade@f733.n153.z1.fidonet.org | censeo Research into rslade@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca | Canter et Siegel User slade@freenet.victoria.bc.ca | delendam Security Canada V7K 2G6 | esse