automate

Definition

The act of replacing humans with machines, usually sold as 'efficiency gains' while simultaneously creating an entire industry of people who maintain the machines that replaced people. Originally meant to free humans from tedious tasks, it now mostly means replacing checkout clerks with self-service kiosks that require three employees to supervise. The ultimate corporate dream: a workforce that doesn't need bathroom breaks or complain about the office temperature.

Example Usage

The company decided to automate their customer service, resulting in customers now spending 45 minutes talking to a bot instead of 5 minutes talking to a human.

Source: Common technology terminology

Related Terms

Advanced

Vrakious Moment

A highly specific Roblox Star Wars gaming term describing when the game's mechanics fail spectacularly, named after presumably a developer or notorious bug. It's the digital equivalent of your lightsaber turning into a pool noodle mid-duel because someone forgot to test the latest patch.

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

execute

To run or carry out code or commands, making your carefully crafted instructions actually do something instead of just sitting there looking pretty. It's the moment when theory becomes practice, when algorithms come alive, and when you discover whether your code is brilliant or catastrophically flawed. Also means to kill someone, but in programming it's slightly less dramatic.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

optimization

The corporate obsession with making everything as efficient as theoretically possible, often while ignoring practical reality. It's the process of tweaking systems until they're technically perfect but somehow more complicated than before. Engineers love it, everyone else just wants things to work.

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

plugins

Software add-ons that extend functionality, much like accessories for your digital wardrobe—except these can crash your entire system if they're incompatible. They're the reason your browser can block ads, your music software can sound like a vintage synthesizer, and your WordPress site loads slower than dial-up internet. The digital equivalent of "some assembly required," plugins promise convenience but often deliver dependency hell.

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

subroutines

Reusable chunks of code that perform specific tasks and can be summoned by the main program whenever needed, like having a personal assistant for your algorithm. Also known as functions or procedures, these are the building blocks that let programmers avoid copy-pasting the same code a hundred times. They take inputs, do their thing, and return outputs—ideally without causing your entire program to crash.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

FUD

Acronym for "Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt"—the holy trinity of manipulative marketing tactics. Commonly used in tech and business to describe the deliberate spread of negative misinformation about competitors, because winning on merit is so passé.

💻 Tech / IT

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