coding

Definition

The art of writing instructions for computers in languages they understand, transforming caffeine and frustration into functioning software. This process involves typing arcane symbols until something works, then pretending you knew what you were doing all along. It's why developers are either debugging their code or lying, with no in-between states recognized by science.

Example Usage

After six hours of coding, Janet realized her program didn't work because she'd used a semicolon instead of a colon, questioning every life choice that led to this moment.

Source: Technology terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

Cloud

Someone else's computer that you pay rent on, marketed with imagery of fluffy sky formations to distract you from the fact that your data lives in a warehouse in Virginia. Moving to the cloud means your problems are now someone else's problems, for a monthly fee.

💻 Tech / IT

Beginner

server

A powerful computer whose entire purpose in life is to serve data, files, or applications to other computers like a digital butler. It's the hardworking machine sitting in a climate-controlled room, handling requests 24/7 while your laptop gets all the credit. When it goes down, everything grinds to a halt and IT people start sweating profusely.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

cloud infrastructure

Renting someone else's computers and calling it innovation, liberating you from maintaining servers while enslaving you to monthly subscription fees. It's the reason your startup doesn't have a server room but does have an AWS bill that makes you weep.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

switchover

The often-terrifying moment when an organization flips from an old system, platform, or process to a shiny new one, typically scheduled for 3 AM on a weekend. It's the business equivalent of changing a tire while the car is still moving. Usually accompanied by prayers, energy drinks, and a rollback plan that everyone hopes they won't need but definitely will.

💻 Tech / IT

Advanced

tecromancy

The dark art of resurrecting obsolete technology from the digital graveyard and making it do things it was never meant to do. Part technical wizardry, part stubborn refusal to accept planned obsolescence. Practitioners are those mad scientists who get Doom running on pregnancy tests and convince Windows Vista it still has a purpose.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

Latency

The delay between requesting something and receiving it, a concept that applies equally to API calls and waiting for your manager to approve your vacation request. In both cases, high latency makes you question your life choices.

💻 Tech / IT

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Beginner

sydlm

Shut your dirty little mouth...