Greenie's definitions
In the drum and bass scene, the DJ's practice of replaying a record that has been enthusiastically received by the audience. Spectators "call for a rewind" by holding cigarette lighters in the air; if there is enough demand, the DJ will spin the record backward and play it from the beginning.
by Greenie December 11, 2003
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A form of hacking, as applied to telephone networks. Phone phreaks exploit weaknesses in the phone system to make long-distance calls for free, tap into other's calls, take control of lines, get free phone services, and the like.
Phreaks (or phreakers) are usually motivated more by technical curiosity and the hacker ethos than any criminal intent (although phreaking is most certainly illegal). To bounce a call through a dozen different switching systems around the world, to your friend next door - all for free - is regarded by phreaks as an accomplishment. The fact that they are committing fraud and felonies in the process is regarded as incidental - or perhaps part of the fun.
The tools of phreaking often take the form of "boxes", such as the blue box, red box, or beige box. These devices - whose names refer to their function, not their actual color - generate various useful audio frequencies or electrical signals. The "red box", which allows you to make free calls from pay phones, is the easiest to build and can be assembled using two parts from Radio Shack that cost less than ten dollars.
The archetypal phone phreak is John Draper, aka Captain Crunch, who began phreaking on the West Coast in the 1960s.
The practice of phreaking has declined in recent years, as phone networks have been upgraded from old analog systems to newer, less vulnerable digital systems.
Phreaks (or phreakers) are usually motivated more by technical curiosity and the hacker ethos than any criminal intent (although phreaking is most certainly illegal). To bounce a call through a dozen different switching systems around the world, to your friend next door - all for free - is regarded by phreaks as an accomplishment. The fact that they are committing fraud and felonies in the process is regarded as incidental - or perhaps part of the fun.
The tools of phreaking often take the form of "boxes", such as the blue box, red box, or beige box. These devices - whose names refer to their function, not their actual color - generate various useful audio frequencies or electrical signals. The "red box", which allows you to make free calls from pay phones, is the easiest to build and can be assembled using two parts from Radio Shack that cost less than ten dollars.
The archetypal phone phreak is John Draper, aka Captain Crunch, who began phreaking on the West Coast in the 1960s.
The practice of phreaking has declined in recent years, as phone networks have been upgraded from old analog systems to newer, less vulnerable digital systems.
by Greenie December 12, 2003
Get the phreaking mug.An imaginary ambulance that comes when shit heads don't have a leeeeeeg. Someone who always gets randomly stressed out and needs a cry is in dire need for a wambulance.
by Greenie May 5, 2005
Get the wambulance mug.A versatile declaration, originating (more or less) in hip-hop culture.
"Word" has no single meaning, but is used to convey a casual sense of affirmation, acknowledgement, agreement, or to indicate that something has impressed you favorably.
Its usage among young blacks has been parodied ad nauseam among clueless suburban whites.
"Word" has no single meaning, but is used to convey a casual sense of affirmation, acknowledgement, agreement, or to indicate that something has impressed you favorably.
Its usage among young blacks has been parodied ad nauseam among clueless suburban whites.
by Greenie August 21, 2003
Get the word mug.Crew, posse, gang: an informal group of individuals with a common identity and a sense of solidarity. The term is a bit flashy and is more likely to be heard in hip-hop lyrics than in spoken conversation.
by Greenie March 24, 2004
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1. To program a computer in a clever, virtuosic, and wizardly manner. Ordinary computer jockeys merely write programs; hacking is the domain of digital poets. Hacking is a subtle and arguably mystical art, equal parts wit and technical ability, that is rarely appreciated by non-hackers. See hacker.
2. To break into computer systems with malicious intent. This sense of the term is the one that is most commonly heard in the media, although sense 1 is much more faithful to its original meaning. Contrary to popular misconception, this sort of hacking rarely requires cleverness or exceptional technical ability; most so-called "black hat" hackers rely on brute force techniques or exploit known weaknesses and the incompetence of system administrators.
3. To jury-rig or improvise something inelegant but effective, usually as a temporary solution to a problem. See noun sense 2.
n.
1. A clever or elegant technical accomplishment, especially one with a playful or prankish bent. A clever routine in a computer program, especially one which uses tools for purposes other than those for which they were intended, might be considered a hack. Students at technical universities, such as MIT, are famous for performing elaborate hacks, such as disassembling the dean's car and then reassembling it inside his house, or turning a fourteen-story building into a giant Tetris game by placing computer-controlled lighting panels in its windows.
2. A temporary, jury-rigged solution, especially in the fields of computer programming and engineering: the technical equivalent of chewing gum and duct tape. Compare to kludge.
3. A cheap, mediocre, or second-rate practitioner, especially in the fields of journalism and literature: a charlatan or incompetent.
1. To program a computer in a clever, virtuosic, and wizardly manner. Ordinary computer jockeys merely write programs; hacking is the domain of digital poets. Hacking is a subtle and arguably mystical art, equal parts wit and technical ability, that is rarely appreciated by non-hackers. See hacker.
2. To break into computer systems with malicious intent. This sense of the term is the one that is most commonly heard in the media, although sense 1 is much more faithful to its original meaning. Contrary to popular misconception, this sort of hacking rarely requires cleverness or exceptional technical ability; most so-called "black hat" hackers rely on brute force techniques or exploit known weaknesses and the incompetence of system administrators.
3. To jury-rig or improvise something inelegant but effective, usually as a temporary solution to a problem. See noun sense 2.
n.
1. A clever or elegant technical accomplishment, especially one with a playful or prankish bent. A clever routine in a computer program, especially one which uses tools for purposes other than those for which they were intended, might be considered a hack. Students at technical universities, such as MIT, are famous for performing elaborate hacks, such as disassembling the dean's car and then reassembling it inside his house, or turning a fourteen-story building into a giant Tetris game by placing computer-controlled lighting panels in its windows.
2. A temporary, jury-rigged solution, especially in the fields of computer programming and engineering: the technical equivalent of chewing gum and duct tape. Compare to kludge.
3. A cheap, mediocre, or second-rate practitioner, especially in the fields of journalism and literature: a charlatan or incompetent.
v1. I stayed up all night hacking, and when I finally looked out the window, it was 8am.
v2. Some script kiddie hacked into the web server and trashed the database.
v3. I didn't have time to do things properly, so I just hacked together something that worked.
n1. A computerized bartender that automatically mixes your drinks and debits your account? Now THAT'S a hack.
n2. This subroutine is just a hack; I'm going to go back and put some real code in later.
n3. That two-bit pulp writer? Ah, he's nothing but a hack.
v2. Some script kiddie hacked into the web server and trashed the database.
v3. I didn't have time to do things properly, so I just hacked together something that worked.
n1. A computerized bartender that automatically mixes your drinks and debits your account? Now THAT'S a hack.
n2. This subroutine is just a hack; I'm going to go back and put some real code in later.
n3. That two-bit pulp writer? Ah, he's nothing but a hack.
by Greenie March 24, 2004
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