Is this a stupid question? (probably off-topic too)

[Louis]

OK, my curiosity finally overwhelmed my need to not look stupid.

Why, when people are speaking of multiple computer systems, do they refer to them as 'boxen'? Probably a simple answer, like 'the other way sounds obscene', or 'because', or 'its Esperanto for "that which calculates the results to 12 significant digits, then produces a completely random answer by magic".

Ever since I joined this project I've wondered that - and they pay me to be a computer guy, so knowing this would enhance my job knowledge too.

And if this has been answered somewhere, feel free to yell at me - just don't make me cry. (Oh, wait - I'll never meet any of you in real life - so make me cry. I dare you...)

And if you don't want to answer, then that's cool too - but it will still drive me goofy.

Cheers.
Louis

[rshepard]

From TheJargon Dictionary:


boxen /bok'sn/ pl.n. [very common; by analogy with VAXen] Fanciful plural of box often encountered in the phrase `Unix boxen', used to describe commodity Unix hardware. The connotation is that any two Unix boxen are interchangeable.


VAXen /vak'sn/ n. [from `oxen', perhaps influenced by `vixen'] (alt. `vaxen') The plural canonically used among hackers for the DEC VAX computers. "Our installation has four PDP-10s and twenty vaxen." See boxen.

Now aren't you sorry you asked

[FoBoT]

it is just internet slang

link

boxen /bok'sn/ pl.n.

[very common; by analogy with VAXen] Fanciful plural of box often encountered in the phrase `Unix boxen', used to describe commodity Unix hardware. The connotation is that any two Unix boxen are interchangeable.

D'oh!!! too slow!!

[rshepard]

D'oh!!! too slow!!

It's all those cycles going to the client, slowing down your keyboard buffer

[cygnussphere]

Originally posted by FoBoT
it is just internet slang

link



D'oh!!! too slow!!

Oh sure post a link to the jargon sight... there goes the rest of my day

[PY 222]

Hmmm... interesting.

We all learn something new everyday!

[gistech1978]

i assumed it was german

[PinHead]

And I just thought boxen sounded a lot like oxen
and it was hard to farm without oxen.

Then again, it's hard to farm without boxen.

[Gras]

Originally posted by gistech1978
i assumed it was german

Not really

"Boxen" is where Klitschko loses against Lewis

[Louis]

Thanks everyone. I almost searched on the Internet - but for some strange reason I ignored the voices. Then the voices told me, never ignore the voices. I'm starting to learn that you should never ignore the voices.

[FoBoT]

the voices are from google

you will be assimilated (google told me so)

[tpdooley]

Thanks, Louis.. For the last year, I thought all the "boxen" folks had severe spelling problems.

[rsbriggs]

Well, isn't it nice to find out that you were mistakenen ?