1. Unpredictable (closest to mat
hematical definition) weird. "T
he system' s been be
having pretty randomly." 2. Assorted undistinguis
hed. "W
ho was at t
he conference?" "Just a bunc
h of random business types." 3. (pejorative) Frivolous unproductive undirected. "
he' s just a random loser." 4. Inco
herent or inelegant poorly c
hosen not well organised. "T
he program
has a random set of misfeatures." "T
hat' s a random name for t
hat function." "Well, all t
he names were c
hosen pretty randomly." 5. In no particular order, t
houg
h href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=deterministic">deterministic. "T
he I/O c
hannels are in a pool, and w
hen a file is opened one is c
hosen randomly." 6. Arbitrary. "It generates a random name for t
he scratc
h file." 7. Gratuitously wrong, i.e. poorly done and for no good apparent reason. For example, a program t
hat
handles file name defaulting in a particularly useless way, or an assembler routine t
hat could easily
have been coded using only t
hree registers, but redundantly uses seven for values wit
h non-overlapping lifetimes, so t
hat no one else can invoke it wit
hout first saving four extra registers. W
hat
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=randomness">randomness! 8. A random
hacker used particularly of
hig
h-sc
hool students w
ho soak up computer time and generally get in t
he way. 9. Anyone w
ho is not a
hacker (or, sometimes, anyone not known to t
he
hacker speaking). "I went to t
he talk, but t
he audience was full of randoms asking bogus questions". 10. (occasional MIT usage) One w
ho lives at Random
hall. See also
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=J. Random">J. Random,
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=some random X">some random X. [
href="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Jargon File">Jargon File] (1995-12-05)
In addition suitable contents:
[ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=31">2 ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=134">= ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=396">ag ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=433">al ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=544">am ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=592">an ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=683">app ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=740">ar ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=743">arc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=759">arg ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=800">as ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=849">assembler ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=894">at ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=935">au ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=996">av ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1026">b ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1181">be ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1269">bi ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1334">bit ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1444">bo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1672">bus ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1724">ca ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=1896">cc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2001">ch ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2010">channel ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2136">ck ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2138">cl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2247">co ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2273">code ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2330">com ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2491">computer ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2545">con ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2791">cr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=2900">cu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3151">de ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3320">deterministic ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3369">die ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3565">do ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3752">du ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3865">ec ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3896">ed ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3923">edu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3929">ee ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3946">eg ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=3953">eh ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4007">elegant ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4148">er ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4150">era ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4171">es ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4199">et ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4425">fault ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4452">feature ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4497">fi ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4520">file ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4700">fo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4727">for ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4940">function ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4983">G ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=4989">ga ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5057">ge ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5070">gen ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5089">generate ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5134">gh ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5141">gi ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5291">gr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5403">gu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5434">h ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5438">hack ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5443">hacker ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5488">handle ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5540">hat ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5722">hose ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5768">hr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5931">id ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=5956">ie ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6013">il ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6064">in ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6413">io ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6414">I/O ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6449">ir ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6482">is ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6557">IT ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6558">it ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6589">J ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6620">Jargon File ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6681">jo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6729">J. Random ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6789">ke ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6822">ki ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6861">kn ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=6918">la ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7023">ld ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7091">Lex ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7107">li ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7120">life ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7243">lk ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7351">lose ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7352">loser ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7399">ls ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7410">lt ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7415">lu ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7441">ly ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7457">M ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7463">ma ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7987">misfeature ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=7992">MIT ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8008">ml ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8029">mn ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8032">mo ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8040">mod ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8079">module ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8167">mp ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8228">ms ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8386">na ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8460">nc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8472">ne ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8622">nf ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8627">ng ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8630">ni ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8660">nl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8672">nn ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8675">no ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8745">np ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8760">ns ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8820">O ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=8964">om ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9014">op ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9019">open ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9120">org ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9204">pa ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9306">parent ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9457">pe ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9550">ph ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9616">ping ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9651">pl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=9908">pr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10012">product ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10023">program ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10253">query ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10256">ques ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10316">randomness ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10364">rc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10385">re ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10489">register ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10754">rl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10767">ro ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10816">routine ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10918">S ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=10922">sa ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11010">sc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11078">scratch ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11150">se ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11281">set ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11314">sh ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11376">si ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11510">sk ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11525">sl ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11651">so ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11731">some random X ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11737">sort ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=11934">st ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12246">sy ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12312">system ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12359">T ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12369">table ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12393">talk ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12440">tc ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12588">th ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12721">to ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12787">tr ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12896">tt ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12901">tty ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=12970">type ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13008">ug ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13146">up ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13175">us ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13252">va ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13260">value ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13310">ve ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13366">vi ] [ href="module.php?name=Lexikon&op=content&tid=13891">X ]