algorithm

Definition

A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or performing a calculation, now blamed for everything from bad recommendations to societal inequality. In computer science, it's the recipe your code follows to turn input into output. These days, 'the algorithm' is invoked mystically to explain why your social media shows you cat videos instead of news, like it's some inscrutable digital deity rather than just math someone wrote.

Example Usage

The algorithm recommended she buy a wedding dress right after she browsed engagement rings—totally not creepy at all.

Source: Computer science and mathematics terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

offline

The increasingly rare state of not being connected to the internet or larger network—either by technical failure or deliberate choice, neither of which your boss will find acceptable as an excuse. In IT, it means a system that's been disconnected; in real life, it's the mythical state of actually being present in the physical world. Some say people used to live offline full-time; anthropologists are still studying these ancient cultures.

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

magic number

A hard-coded numeric value embedded in code without explanation, leaving future developers to wonder if it's a critical constant or the programmer's birth year. Best practice: replace with named constants. Reality: it's easier to just ship it.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

geekbox

An affectionate yet slightly derogatory term for a computer, used by people who spend way too much time staring at screens. The name acknowledges both the machine's utility and the user's questionable social life. Bonus points if said geekbox has RGB lighting and custom cooling.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

override

A mechanism that lets you say "I know better than the computer" and manually take control of an automated system, hopefully before things go sideways. It's the emergency brake of the tech world, giving humans the power to countermand automatic controls. Just pray you're actually smarter than the algorithm when you hit that button.

💻 Tech / IT

Advanced

My account got boached

When your social media account mysteriously vanishes into the digital void without explanation, leaving you banned and confused. The platform's version of ghosting you, complete with zero closure or reasoning—just a sudden disappearance that makes you question your entire online existence.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

cargo cult programming

Writing code by copying patterns and practices without understanding why they work, like a ritual performed for magical results. The programming equivalent of adding 'import numpy as np' to every Python script because you saw it once.

💻 Tech / IT

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