LIST OF USED WORDS ~TOP.BLK~ EXPLANATION OF USED COMPUTER TERMS IN THIS MAGAZINE ~TOP.BLK~ Re-edited version There are many "unknown" words in this magazine for some people who are not familiar with certain computer terms. You will find a short list with the most used words from the computer scene( there are many more but I decided to do only the important ones ). We reach many people who don't know that there is a computer scene or just don't participate on the scene. So, when those people start to read this magazine they stumble on words that they never have heard of. For those people we made the follo- wing list: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coder : Is a programmer. GFX-man : An artist that creates graphics with aid of the computer(see GFX). Music-man : Someone who composes music with aid of a computer (see musax). Cracker : Someone who removes protections out of programs. Hacker : Someone who breaks into computersystems often using a modem. Swapper : Someone who trades computer programs with other people mostly by mail. Modemtrader : Someone who swaps programs with the aid of a modem. Ripper : That's a guy who steals/takes code/music and graphics for use in his own demo or intro. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Code : Code is just another word for a program or piece of program language. Routines : Small piece of code that performs a specific task like playing a module or showing a picture. Scrolline : Line of text that scrolls horizontal/vertical over your screen. GFX : Grafix or just Graphics which means drawings and pictures on the computer screen. Piccy/pic : Picture. Vector : Lines that can form objects on your screen. Filled Vectors : The same objects but then they are filled with colors. Texture mapped : Pictures/graphics that are used on/as walls/objects in games and demo's. Something like wallpaper. Logo : The logo of the group who created an intro/demo, game or for instance a diskmagazine. logo is a recognition sign just like the one of a firm/company. Distorted : A waving effect(moving screenlines). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Musax : This is ofcourse music and can be parted in 3 different forms, Chipmusic : This is music that is composed on the built in Yamaha soundchip of a 'ordinary' ST. Module : This is music made up of small samples like a drumbeat a guitar Rif and many other small pieces. These small samples can get sequenced. All those little samples are forming a soundtrack which is called a module( also known as mod. ). This is the most popular form of music because the quality is good and through the use of small samples the data stays small. Samples : A piece of sound that is "recorded" with a sound- sampler. The height of the sampling rate (kHz.) is related to the quality of the recorded sound. Disadvantage of a high sampling rate is the enormous flow of data. With a Falcon sampling a 20 seconds of music at 50 kHz you will wind up with many megabytes of data ! Sequenced samples : Repeating of samples in a music piece and thus saving precious memory. For instance if the same guitar Rif appears 4 times in a music piece, you only have to record it once. This technique is also used in modules. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lamer : Someone who doesn't belong on the scene and is not part of some kind of ( well ) known computer group. It also could simply be an unpleasant person. Greetings : A form a recognition that other groups know you. Fuckings : The opposite of greetings, often sprouted from competition or the ripping of code/graphs/music. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mag. : Magazine (can be either paper or digital). Diskzine : Diskmagazine (see Diskmagazine) Diskmagazine : Digital magazine on a computer floppydisk, often containing articles and programs. Advantages in ~FACE.BLK~ comparison with a papermagazine are, Low costs to make Small & compact (fits in your pocket) Interactive Contains music It's Public Domain (in most cases). Articles with good coding tips Not restricted to any rules, free to express opinions of any kind -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intro : A piece of code ( presentation screen ) in front of a program. It's a series of effects/programming tricks accompanied by music. The difficulty rate, style, originality and execution of the performed tricks is what's important. (Mega)Demo : Demonstration of effects/programming tricks. Demo's are mostly intro's accessible through a main-menu. Dentro : Something between an intro and a demo( without a main-menu ). Effects/tricks are shown in a preorderd sequence. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Packed/Crunched : Programs that are made smaller to save disk space with a special (compression) packing program. If commands appear several times in a program, they get replaced for instance by one character. Space can also be compressed, all this leads to space saving. Good packers can compress certain programs more then 60 percent or even higher ! Compil : Compilation of many packed programs. Often compressing several diskfilling programs on one single disk. These compils were very popular on the ST/STE, on the Falcon however they are rare (for the time being). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pseudoname : The codename of an individual computer freak on the scene. Pseudonames are mostly used by Hackers & Crackers in order to cover up their real name for obvious reasons. Other people who don't roam the illegal circuit use them just for fun. Crew/group : Several mostly talented individuals forming a group. Their main goal is to code better programs than the competition or simply to have some fun. These groups also have names ( like for instance the D.B.A. ). Alliance : Many groups gathered in one big one, also under a name. ( like the Independent ). Sometimes they produce big megademo's or other productions by joining forces. Scene : Gathering of active computer groups and individuals. Mostly elite coding groups or individuals. A parallel world beside the normal computer circuit. P.D.L. : Public Domain Library ( Library filled with free or low cost software made by mostly non commercial individuals/groups ). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DSP : The Digital Signal Processor in the Falcon computer. This processor can perform tasks without disturbing the main-processor (68030). The DSP is especially designed to process digital information like samples, picture compression, speech recognition with incredible speed. It can also do other things as well, although it can't perform every task. The DSP is what makes the Falcon special ! There are three versions of this chip a 16, 24 and 32 bit version. The Falcon has the special 24 bits one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you have enough information to make you understand most of the articles in this magazine. Like I said before; there are many more words that are being used on the scene but I just made a short list of the most used ones. Now go and read some articles........... Slimer