A sudden and unexpected stoppage of a computer system, network, system interface or data feed generally caused by a direct, secretive or unexplained change to a production environment. Often times the problem can just go away on its own.
You have been macchened when you are causally going about using a computer system to do your normal daily processing when all of a sudden the lights dim, the systems grind to a halt and everyone is looking at each other as if to say what the heck happened. It's that moment when you know you have been macchened.
by U Jean Ripper March 5, 2010