Technobabble [Paperback]

John Barry (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262521822 | ISBN-13: 978-0262521826 | Publication Date: May 4, 1993 | Edition: 1st MIT pb

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Well researched, lively, entertaining, and ought to be required reading for every computer journalist, PR agent, and marketing executive in the business."
—Wendy Grossman, New Scientist



"Technobabble is a remarkable opus, categorizing and tracing the etymology of literally thousands of computer terms now in common use. In the Process, Barry gives the reader an eclectic lesson in the history of the computer industry and a revealing took at the way that techies think. "
—Simson L. Garfinkel, Christian Science Monitor



"A serious study of the language of the new technocracy."
—William Safire, The New York Times Magazine

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1st MIT pb edition (May 4, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262521822
• ISBN-13: 978-0262521826
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,502,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars insightful book, May 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Technobabble (Paperback)

this book does very well at helping us understand computer lingo, though it might be slightly over the head of some people. A highly original book

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very long winded with little to recommend it, April 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Technobabble (Paperback)

This book offered so much and delivered very little. If you're looking to discover why "byte" is spelt the way it is or where the term originated from, you won't find it here.

Unless you are well coached in the babble of English Lit then a lot of Barry's prose will go right over your head. He seems to have received most of his information from the Random House Unabridged Dictionary - every second pages seems to quote from it. If I were interested in what Random House had to say then I would have bought their dictionary and not this book!

Don't bother looking here for lively and interesting tales about how various words came to be, instead have a look at such books as Hackers, Digital Deli, The Devouing Fungus, The Naked Computer, and The Hackers Dictionary.