1. <unit, text> (Sometimes abbreviated "pt") The unit of
	length used in {typography} to specify text character height,
	{rule} width, and other small measurements.

	There are six slightly different definitions: {Truchet point},
	{Didot point}, {ATA point}, {TeX point}, {Postscript point},
	and {IN point}.

	In Europe, the most commonly used is Didot and in the US, the
	formerly standard ATA point has essentially been replaced by
	the PostScript point due to the demise of traditional
	typesetting systems and rise of desktop computer based systems
	running software such as {QuarkXPress}, {Adobe InDesign} and
	{Adobe Pagemaker}.

	There are 20 {twips} in a point and 12 points in a {pica}
	(known as a "Cicero" in the Didot system).

	{Different point systems
	(http://www.vakcer.com/oberon/dtp/fonts/point.htm)}.

	(2004-12-23)

	2. <hardware> To move a {pointing device} so that the
	on-screen pointer is positioned over a certain object on the
	screen such as a {button} in a {graphical user interface}.  In
	most {window systems} it is then necessary to {click} a
	(physical) button on the pointing device to activate or select
	the object.  In some systems, just pointing to an object is
	known as "mouse-over" {event} which may cause some help text
	(called a "tool tip" in {Windows}) to be displayed.

	(2001-05-21)

<character> (Or "ctrl", "^") One (or a pair) of {modifier
	keys} found on all modern {keyboards}.  If the control key is
	held down while pressing and releasing certain other keys then
	a "{control character}" is generated, e.g. holding control and
	hitting "A" generates control-A ({ASCII} code 1).  The ASCII
	code for the control character is generally 64 less than that
	for the unmodified character.

	The control key does not generate any character on its own but
	most modern keyboards and {operating systems} allow a program
	to tell whether each of the individual keys on the keyboard
	(including modifier keys) is pressed at any time.

	Control characters mostly have some kind of "non-printing"
	effect on the output such as ringing the bell (Control-G) or
	advancing to the next line (Control-J).  Most have alternative
	names suggesting these functions (Bell, Line Feed, etc.).

	See {ASCII character table}.

	(1997-07-10)

<graphics> (Or "tone", "luminance", "value", "luminosity",
	"lightness") The coordinate in the {HSB} {colour model} that
	determines the total amount of light in the colour.  Zero
	brightness is black and 100% is white, intermediate values are
	"light" or "dark" colours.

	The other coordinates are {hue} and {saturation}.

	(1999-07-05)

<operating system> ("Linus Unix") /li'nuks/ (but see below)
	An implementation of the {Unix} {kernel} originally written
	from scratch with no proprietary code.

	The kernel runs on {Intel} and {Alpha} hardware in the general
	release, with {SPARC}, {PowerPC}, {MIPS}, {ARM}, {Amiga},
	{Atari}, and {SGI} in active development.  The SPARC, PowerPC,
	ARM, {PowerMAC} - {OSF}, and 68k ports all support {shells},
	{X} and {networking}.  The Intel and SPARC versions have
	reliable {symmetric multiprocessing}.

	Work on the kernel is coordinated by Linus Torvalds, who holds
	the copyright on a large part of it.  The rest of the
	copyright is held by a large number of other contributors (or
	their employers).  Regardless of the copyright ownerships, the
	kernel as a whole is available under the {GNU} {General Public
	License}.  The GNU project supports Linux as its kernel until
	the research {Hurd} kernel is completed.

	This kernel would be no use without {application programs}.
	The GNU project has provided large numbers of quality tools,
	and together with other {public domain} software it is a rich
	Unix environment.  A compilation of the Linux kernel and these
	tools is known as a Linux distribution.  Compatibility modules
	and/or {emulators} exist for dozens of other computing
	environments.

	The kernel version numbers are significant: the odd numbered
	series (e.g. 1.3.xx) is the development (or beta) kernel which
	evolves very quickly.  Stable (or release) kernels have even
	major version numbers (e.g. 1.2.xx).

	There is a lot of commercial support for and use of Linux,
	both by hardware companies such as {Digital}, {IBM}, and
	{Apple} and numerous smaller network and integration
	specialists.  There are many commercially supported
	distributions which are generally entirely under the GPL.  At
	least one distribution vendor guarantees {Posix} compliance.
	Linux is particularly popular for {Internet Service
	Providers}, and there are ports to both parallel
	supercomputers and {embedded} {microcontrollers}.  {Debian} is
	one popular {open source} distribution.

	The pronunciation of "Linux" has been a matter of much debate.
	Many, including Torvalds, insist on the short I pronunciation
	/li'nuks/ because "Linus" has an /ee/ sound in Swedish
	(Linus's family is part of Finland's 6% ethnic-Swedish
	minority) and Linus considers English short /i/ to be closer
	to /ee/ than English long /i:/ dipthong.  This is consistent
	with the short I in words like "linen".  This doesn't stop
	others demanding a long I /li:'nuks/ following the english
	pronunciation of "Linus" and "minus".  Others say /li'niks/
	following {Minix}, which Torvalds was working on before Linux.

	{More on pronunciation
	(http://www.foldoc.org/pub/linux-pronunciation)}.

	{LinuxHQ (http://www.linuxhq.com/)}.  {slashdot
	(http://slashdot.org/)}.  {freshmeat (http://freshmeat.net/)}.
	{Woven Goods (http://www.fokus.gmd.de/linux/)}.  {Linux
	Gazette (http://www.ssc.com/lg)}.

	{funet Linux Archive (ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/Linux)}, {US
	mirror (ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/)}, {UK Mirror
	(ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/Linux/)}.

	(2000-06-09)

1. <messaging> (From Hormel's Spiced Ham, via the Monty Python
	"Spam" song) To post irrelevant or inappropriate messages to
	one or more {Usenet} {newsgroups}, {mailing lists}, or other
	messaging system in deliberate or accidental violation of
	{netiquette}.

	It is possible to spam a newsgroup with one well- (or ill-)
	planned message, e.g. asking "What do you think of abortion?"
	on soc.women.  This can be done by {cross-post}ing, e.g. any
	message which is crossposted to alt.rush-limbaugh and
	alt.politics.homosexuality will almost inevitably spam both
	groups.  (Compare {troll} and {flame bait}).

	Posting a message to a significant proportion of all
	newsgroups is a sure way to spam Usenet and become an object
	of almost universal hatred.  Canter and Siegel spammed the net
	with their Green card post.

	If you see an article which you think is a deliberate spam, DO
	NOT post a {follow-up} - doing so will only contribute to the
	general annoyance.  Send a polite message to the poster by
	private e-mail and CC it to "postmaster" at the same address.
	Bear in mind that the posting's origin might have been forged
	or the apparent sender's account might have been used by
	someone else without his permission.

	The word was coined as the winning entry in a 1937 competition
	to choose a name for Hormel Foods Corporation's "spiced meat"
	(now officially known as "SPAM luncheon meat").  Correspondant
	Bob White claims the modern use of the term predates Monty
	Python by at least ten years.  He cites an editor for the
	Dallas Times Herald describing Public Relations as "throwing a
	can of spam into an electric fan just to see if any of it
	would stick to the unwary passersby."

	{Usenet} newsgroup: {news:news.admin.net-abuse}.

	See also {netiquette}.

	2. (A narrowing of sense 1, above) To indiscriminately send
	large amounts of unsolicited {e-mail} meant to promote a
	product or service.  Spam in this sense is sort of like the
	electronic equivalent of junk mail sent to "Occupant".

	In the 1990s, with the rise in commercial awareness of the
	net, there are actually scumbags who offer spamming as a
	"service" to companies wishing to advertise on the net.  They
	do this by mailing to collections of {e-mail} addresses,
	Usenet news, or mailing lists.  Such practises have caused
	outrage and aggressive reaction by many net users against the
	individuals concerned.

	3. (Apparently a generalisation of sense 2, above) To abuse
	any network service or tool by for promotional purposes.

	"AltaVista is an {index}, not a promotional tool.  Attempts to
	fill it with promotional material lower the value of the index
	for everyone.  [...] We will disallow {URL} submissions from
	those who spam the index.  In extreme cases, we will exclude
	all their pages from the index." -- {Altavista}.

	4. <jargon, programming> To crash a program by overrunning a
	fixed-size {buffer} with excessively large input data.

	See also {buffer overflow}, {overrun screw}, {smash the stack}.

	5. <chat, games> (A narrowing of sense 1, above) To flood any
	{chat} forum or {Internet game} with purposefully annoying
	text or macros.  Compare {Scrolling}.

	(2003-09-21)