Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 14:53:49 EST From: "Rob Slade, Social Convener to the Net" Subject: "Business Dictionary of Computers" by Rosenberg [Apparently this book was sent to me in error. The marketing person who contacted me, after I had sent them the draft review, said that this is "no longer sent to reviewers". That doesn't exactly say that it no longer gets sold, so, while I've removed the publisher data, here is the review anyway. - rms] BKBSDCCM.RVW 950310 "Business Dictionary of Computers", Rosenberg, 1993, 0-471-58574-2, U$14.95 %A Jerry M. Rosenberg %D 1993 %G 0-471-58574-2 %P 403 %T "Business Dictionary of Computers" On the very first page, we have separate definitions for "ABEND" (see "abnormal end of task") and "abend" (synonymous with "blow up"). This is redundant, incomplete ("crash" is defined, but not referenced) and slightly non-standard. So is the book. There is a fairly obvious borrowing from the IBM Computer Dictionary (cf. BKIBMDCT.RVW) but less accuracy, and fewer than half the number of entries. Some entries are very odd. "PC" refers you to "personal computer", "printed circuit board" and "program counter", but doesn't mention the IBM trademark. "Paper tape" is apparently an archaic term: we modern folk are supposed to use "punch tape". Neither is cross-referenced to "pianola roll", which is seemingly the same thing. We're right up to date with "LAWN" (local area wireless network), but there is no entry for Internet. "TCP" refers you to "tape conversion program". There is nothing under "fuzzy logic", "virtual reality", or "Pentium". ("Pencil" is defined as a "system for storing, retrieving, or manipulating line drawings", but I doubt that the humour is intentional.) "Shareware" and "public domain software" are defined correctly, but "freeware" is not. "Virus" (intriguingly, *my* copy came with that page accidentally dog-eared back), is defined as a malicious program, without reference to reproduction. "Worm" isn't mentioned at all, although "wormhole" is, with a definition I have never heard. "Security" forwards you to "data security", which deals only with privacy. In addition to reviewing topics and terms that are within my specialty areas, I tried opening the book at random and reading through the columns on those pages. In five tries I hit a misspelling, a specific use of a general term, a referral from a term to its acronym, a generalization of a *very* specific term, and a term and definition that made no sense at all. Five for five. No page without at least one error. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKBSDCCM.RVW 950310 ============== Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca | Did you ever notice that Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca | everyone in favour of Research into Rob.Slade@f733.n153/| abortion has already User .z1.fidonet.org | been born? Security Canada V7K 2G6 | - per Benny Hill