Society & Cyberculture, Philosophical & Religious Aspects of Technology, Popular Culture - General & Miscellaneous, Civilization - General & Miscellaneous

Technobabble

Name: Technobabble
Author: John A Barry
ISBN: 9780262521826

by John A Barry

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Overview

In this lively account, computerese expert John A. Barry chronicles an important linguistic development, which he has termed "technobabble": the pervasive and indiscriminate use of computer terminology, especially as it is applied to situations that have nothing all to do with technology.

About the Author, John A Barry

John Barry is Deputy Director and Reader in Politics at the Institute of Governance, Public Policy, and Social Research at Queens University, Belfast. He is the author of Rethinking Green Politics and coeditor of the International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics.

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Editorials

Booknews

Barry has many insights into language, culture, and the computer industry, which he conveys along with numerous illustrations of their intermingled evolution. One example: "... ever-more-complex code means more variables that have to be defined... The need to define so many levels of complexity may account in part for the unnecessarily complex language that so often emanates from the computer industry." The author successfully straddles several linguistic worlds, and his study deserves a wide audience. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)