:smoke and mirrors: n. Marketing deceptions. The term is
mainstream in this general sense. Among hackers it's strongly
associated with bogus demos and crocked {benchmark}s (see also
{MIPS}, {machoflops}). "They claim their new box cranks 50
MIPS for under $5000, but didn't specify the instruction mix ---
sounds like smoke and mirrors to me." The phrase has been said to
derive from carnie slang for magic acts and `freak show' displays
that depend on `trompe l'oeil' effects, but also calls to mind
the fierce Aztec god Tezcatlipoca (lit. "Smoking Mirror") for
whom the hearts of huge numbers of human sacrificial victims were
regularly cut out. Upon hearing about a rigged demo or yet another
round of fantasy-based marketing promises, hackers often feel
analogously disheartened.
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
mainstream in this general sense. Among hackers it's strongly
associated with bogus demos and crocked {benchmark}s (see also
{MIPS}, {machoflops}). "They claim their new box cranks 50
MIPS for under $5000, but didn't specify the instruction mix ---
sounds like smoke and mirrors to me." The phrase has been said to
derive from carnie slang for magic acts and `freak show' displays
that depend on `trompe l'oeil' effects, but also calls to mind
the fierce Aztec god Tezcatlipoca (lit. "Smoking Mirror") for
whom the hearts of huge numbers of human sacrificial victims were
regularly cut out. Upon hearing about a rigged demo or yet another
round of fantasy-based marketing promises, hackers often feel
analogously disheartened.
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
Related:
- smoke and mirrors n.
Marketing deceptions. The term is
mainstream in this general sense.
Among hackers it's strongly associated with bogus... - benchmark: [techspeak] n. An inaccurate measure of computer
performance.
"In the computer industry, there are three kinds of... - MIPS: /mips/ [abbreviation] n. 1. A measure of computing speed;
formally, `Million Instructions Per Second' (that's... - Brief History Of Linux (#18)
There are lies, damned lies,
and Microsoft brochures Even from the very first... - MIPS /mips/ n.
[abbreviation] 1. A measure of
computing speed;
formally, `Million Instructions Per Second' (that's... - smoke test: n. 1. A rudimentary form of testing applied to
electronic equipment following repair or reconfiguration,
in which power is applied and the tester checks... - bogus: adj. 1. Non-functional. "Your patches are bogus."
2.
Useless. "OPCON is a bogus program." 3. False. "Your... - oid suff.
[from Greek suffix -oid = `in the image
of'] 1.
Used as in mainstream slang English to indicate a poor... - green lightning: [IBM] n. 1. Apparently random flashing streaks on
the face of 3278-9 terminals while a new symbol set is being
downloaded.
This hardware bug was left deliberately unfixed, as...
From the same category:
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as he got cattle-prodded in the groin... - He's the kind of guy, that, well, if you were ever in a jam he'd be
there .
with two slices of bread and some chunky peanut butter... - PI: Punch
... - Well, I would -- if they realized that we -- again if -
if we led them back to that stalemate only because...
