In this blog, I will be talking about the jargon we have created for the things inside Hardware and Software used when gaming, networking and netdev, programming and the programming life cycle.
Jargon is a language that is made up in a certain topic, such as music, science and in technology used by those in the group which is completely meaningless to those outside of the group. It is done so that one member of the group can instruct, or communicate with another member of the group with the words instead of having to explain everything.
For example, in hospitals, nurses will have created their own words or names for things. You’ve probably heard these words if you’ve ever been in a hospital.
Another good example is when the dentist is checking your teeth. He/She will be saying a combination of numbers to the person that is sat at the computer so it can be imputed to the database.
Abandonware - This is an area between illegally downloading a game and buying it. These games are games that have been forgotten by the creators of it, and because there is no way to purchase this game, people have uploaded the game file to the internet for others to download in attempt the game to live on.
Artificial Intelligence - This is a term that is derived from computer science. This is what changes the game or the characters actions from the player’s input. For example, in Silent Hill, the ending changes with what the player does. If you’ve helped people and collected all clues, you will have a good ending, if you’ve got half of the clues and not helped people, you will have a bad ending.
Bug - This is an error in the coding or the design of the game. It can be something small - such as the characters visuals are inconsistent, or it can be something bit - the map will not load.
Demo - This is an incomplete version of software that is available for download to the public. This is mostly done so that the company can get feedback on it and see what they need to add or change. It could also refer to a section of the game that allows you to practice a little before you begin the actual game.
Quick-Time-Event - This is when the game requires the player to quickly press a button, or move the joystick in a formation that is shown on the screen. This is dubbed as a lazy interaction between game and player.
Modifications/Mods - This is when the player creates something that changes the game, or the actions of their character. An example of this is the ‘No Water’ mod in GTAV that gets rid of all the water in the game, allowing the player to explore the area or hold races.
Metagame – This is what a game inside a game is called. It is a chance for you to improve your skills or gain more knowledge on the game so you can take on another player in it and gain either money or XP.
Hacker - This is somebody who makes changes to the game. Sometimes this is legal, and sometimes this is illegal. Most games will detect when somebody is trying to hack and boot the player.
Filler - This is the name given to the content that is added to a game to lengthen the time. This is used so markets can say that there’s X amount of game play on the box which for some reason gets people to buy them.
DRM/Digital Rights Management - This is when the creator of the game limits the access of a game. It’s done to stop piracy and online cheating.
DLC/Downloadable content - These normally do not cost the user any money to get their hands on. These could range from a costume for the player’s character, to a new level, do a new look of the map. Most big gaming companies do put out things like this for free, but you will have the odd person that will charge you for it.
ISP/Internet Service provider - This is the company that is responsible for your internet connection. For example, Virgin Media, BT, Yorkshire Broadband.
LAN/Local Area Network - This refers to hooking up computers by a cable to insure a good connection so players can play a lag-free game.
Wan/Wide Area Network - This is a network that covers a wide area, the user’s ISP provides a connection to their own WAN which connects to the internet.
IP Address - An internet Protocol address. It is a numerical address that corresponds to the user’s computer on the user’s network. This is something a computer uses to connect to another one.
Router - This is a device that passes traffic back and forth towards the user’s devices to the internet.
Bloatware - This is the name for software that requires lots of space on the computer. Most computers you buy from large tech companies will have apps that you don’t want or need on them.
The first stage of programming is planning and analysis. This is where the programmer finds out what the target market is/what the client’s needs are. Nine times out of ten, the client will have a very vague idea of what they want their program to be like. The programmer will need to have a series of meeting that will help the client give more information on the program. When this is done, the programmer will type up a document with all of this information.
The next step is to create a simple version of the program in a chosen language and run it to see how it works. This is done so that the programmer can fix any bugs, or to see if they need to change the language they code in.
After the programmer is happy with the prototype software they have made, they will send it to the client to get their thoughts on it, and see if there is anything that they want adding to it.
Once the programmer has the client’s approval, they will begin programming the real piece of software. While doing this, the programmer will have to continuously debug it and fix the code.
After completing the game, the programmer will send it to the client once more to do a final check before they will send off the final product to the client along with the plans of it.