Jargon File Disorder is a
syndrome which affects those who have just discovered the
Jargon File. The condition is closely related to
IRColalia. Symptoms include obsessive
yammering about
"hacker" vs. "cracker",
Three Letter Acronym Abuse, and gratuitous use of obsolete (and frequently half-understood) slang: If you don't know
LISP reasonably well, the sense of
CDR will elude you, and there's no shame in admitting it because who the hell writes in
LISP any more?
High-profile
JFD sufferers include
Eric S. Raymond, which ought to be enough to give anyone pause.
The prognosis is usually good. The novelty eventually wears off and the Disordered individual realizes that nobody
cares what a Computer Expert s/he is, that s/he isn't one anyway, and that it's time to start speaking coherently again.