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</style><table class="infobox ib-book vcard"><caption class="infobox-title">The Computer Contradictionary </caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Author</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="Stan_Kelly-Bootle" title="Stan Kelly-Bootle">Stan Kelly-Bootle</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Language</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="English_language" title="English language">English</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Publication date</div></th><td class="infobox-data">May 1995</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publication place</th><td class="infobox-data">United States</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Media type</th><td class="infobox-data">Print</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Pages</th><td class="infobox-data">256 pages</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">

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<p><i><b>The Computer Contradictionary</b></i> is a <a href="Non-fiction" title="Non-fiction">non-fiction</a> book by <a href="Stan_Kelly-Bootle" title="Stan Kelly-Bootle">Stan Kelly-Bootle</a> that compiles a satirical list of definitions of computer industry terms. It was originally published as 'The devil's DP dictionary'. it is an example of "cynical lexicography" in the tradition of <a href="Ambrose_Bierce" title="Ambrose Bierce">Ambrose Bierce</a>'s <i><a href="The_Devil's_Dictionary" title="The Devil's Dictionary">The Devil's Dictionary</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Rather than offering a factual account of usage, its definitions are largely made up by the author.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p><p>The book was published in May 1995 by <a href="MIT_Press" title="MIT Press">MIT Press</a> and is an update of Kelly-Bootle's <i>The Devil's <a href="Data_processing" title="Data processing">DP</a> Dictionary</i> which appeared in 1981.<sup id="cite_ref-acm_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-acm-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2></div>

<dl><dd><b>Endless loop</b>. See: <i>Loop, endless</i></dd></dl>

<dl><dd><b>Loop, endless</b>. See: <i>Endless loop</i></dd></dl>

<dl><dd><b>Recursion</b>. See: <i>Recursion</i></dd></dl>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reception">Reception</h2></div>

<p>The <i><a href="Los_Angeles_Times" title="Los Angeles Times">Los Angeles Times</a></i>, which praised the book, wrote that it was "smartly-titled" but was an "awfully stupid book".<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>ACM Computing Reviews</i> recommended dipping into it because "a dictionary is a difficult read".<sup id="cite_ref-acm_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-acm-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/19970222035805/http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html">"The Court Jester of Computerdom"</a>. <i><a href="Dr_Dobb's" class="mw-redirect" title="Dr Dobb's">Dr Dobb's</a> Electronic Review of Books</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ercb.com/brief/brief.0026.html">the original</a> on 22 February 1997.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFRaymond1996" class="citation book cs1">Raymond, Eric S (1996). <i>The New Hacker's Dictionary - 3rd Edition</i>. MIT Press. pp. <span class="nowrap">534–</span>535.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-acm-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-acm_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-acm_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFBlackman1996" class="citation journal cs1">Blackman, A (Mar 1, 1996). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.computingreviews.com/review/review_review.cfm?review_id=119416">"Review: The computer contradictionary (2nd ed.)"</a>. <i>ACM Computing Reviews</i>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHarris1998" class="citation news cs1">Harris, Krissy (January 26, 1998). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160305225312/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/26/business/fi-12245/2">"Dictionaries to De-Encrypt What the Digerati Are Saying"</a>. <i>Los Angeles Times</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/26/business/fi-12245/2">the original</a> on March 5, 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">29 October</span> 2012</span>.</cite></span>

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