A slackstake describes what happens when you go to write
something on
Slack, typically making use of an extension, app, or integration particular to that technology (like inserting a relevant Giphy) that doesn'
t turn out exactly as planned or intended.
Examples include wanting to send a Giphy that illustrates your point but then sending a Giphy that doesn'
t really make sense or increases confusion. Similarly, going to type the correct keyboard shorthand to generate a desired emoji, but not typing it correctly and hitting send too quickly so that it doesn'
t generate the emoji but just sends the jumble of symbols.
Slackstakes typically occur as a result of typos and being too quick with the keyboard, but the term can also extend to doing things like DMing the wrong person, including someone in a group
DM or channel that shouldn'
t be there, or really just committing any mistake in
Slack that is iconic of and/or ironic for the medium of communication.
The word is a sandwich of "
Slack" and "Mistake".
"Oh Becky pulled the funniest slackstake yesterday when she sent Brian a Giphy of a Beluga
Whale when she was telling him how much she loves Orcas and how she knows everything about them. Didn'
t even know she sent the wrong whale until we pointed it out!"
"Oh yeah,
John got fired because he sent Maria a promiscuous set of emojis via Slack. Granted, it was not during business hours, but that's still a huge slackstake, if you know what I
mean."