L.A. SPEAK

Computer literacy these days entails a major upgrade in basic language skills. Selections from Gareth Brandwyn’s hypercard stack, “Beyond Cyberpunk: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to the Future.”

cybercrud n . Obfuscatory tech-talk, the computer equivalent of bureaucratese. “That disk-drive manual bogged me down in cybercrud. “

droid n . A person exhibiting a naive trust in authority, a company man.

drool-proof paper n . Documentation that has been dumbed down to the point where only a cretin could bear to read it. “My laser printer manual is on drool-proof paper. “

flame war n . An acrimonious dispute conducted in an electronic forum. “If you want to see real action, check out the flame wars on Prodigy.”

lunatic fringe n . Customers who buy early, often bug-ridden versions of software.

sagan n . A large quantity of anything, as in Carl Sagan’s famous “billions and billions” quote. “The U. S. spends sagans on bombs and welfare.”

wave a dead chicken v . To perform a futile repair ritual over a crashed system.

wirehead n . A hacker, especially one who concentrates on communications hardware. “If you can’t crack the system, hire a wirehead. “

zipperhead n . A person with a closed mind.